Free vote worth little in Labor ranks with senator bullied over gay marriage
Bill Shorten argues for a free vote on gay marriage on ABC radio’s AM program, September 7:
If there is a full free vote in parliament, and by that, I’m using specific words, if every MP, Liberal and Labor, is allowed to vote according to their conscience …
Shorten argues again for a free vote on the ABC’s 7.30, August 3:
There is no formal or informal traffic coming from the leadership of our party to these individual Liberals who want to vote with their conscience. We are trying to give them the room and the space to be able to back their conscience …
Just loves a free vote. The Labor leader in Melbourne, June 3:
Quite genuinely, we could go into parliament and have a free vote …
Except for Labor MPs who don’t back gay marriage. ALP senator Helen Polley in The Australian, yesterday:
It would be much easier for my life, in some respects, in dealing with my colleagues to change my position and support same-sex marriage. There is pressure from outside, there is pressure from friends, from colleagues, from staffers.
Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek speaking in Canberra, February 16:
A free vote in the House of Representatives and a free vote in the Senate …
No wonder Polley feels pressured with “free vote backers” such as Plibersek leading the party. The Australian, June 15, 2015:
Tanya Plibersek has eased her campaign to secure a binding vote on same-sex marriage at Labor’s National Conference …
Polley in The Australian, yesterday:
I have to be the person who has the values and the positions that I have, instead of just caving in to the pressure …
Good on you, Helen. But you won’t have a choice soon. News.com.au, July 26, 2015:
If no bill is brought forward in this term or the one after, Labor MPs would lose their free vote and be bound to support legislation presented to the parliament, following the federal election scheduled for late 2019.
In other gay marriage news, Macklemore plays that song at the NRL grand final and people were fine with it. The Australian online, yesterday:
Macklemore exclaimed “equality for all” as streams of coloured smoke forming a rainbow shot into the air … with audience members also shining mobile phone lights in solidarity.
Tony Abbott still thinks he shouldn’t have played a pro-gay rights song and he wanted an Aussie on stage. The former prime minister on Sydney radio station 2GB, yesterday:
Like me, Ray, you probably don’t listen to any music from after 1975 except the Traveling Wilburys and Savage Garden, they were pretty good.
The Savage Garden led by gay singer Darren Hayes? The Australian online, yesterday:
Lead singer of Savage Garden Darren Hayes has married his partner Richard Cullen three times …
Hayes on Twitter, yesterday:
I am not a fan of Tony Abbott.
Maybe Hayes could have belted this one out. Savage Garden’s Affirmation, November 9, 1999:
I believe you can’t control or choose your sexuality.
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout