Australian Politics live: ‘Respect my vote’, Clare tells electorate
PoliticsNow: Jason Clare says he hopes his western Sydney electorate will respect his decision to vote Yes despite their strong No vote.
- Why Wong backed Howard on marriage
- Smith bill’s conservative origins
- Smith thanks public for Yes vote
- PM hints at extending parliament
That’s where we will end PoliticsNow, The Australian’s live coverage of the happenings in Parliament House. Dean Smith has spoken about his bill to legalise same-sex marriage after the Yes vote yesterday carried a resounding victory in the postal survey.
Top post: Respect my vote, Jason Clare tells his electorate
Matthew Denholm 3.34pm: Lambie on comeback trail?
Jacqui Lambie may be back in federal parliament sooner than expected, due to a cloud over her would-be replacements. Read the full story here.
Rachel Baxendale 2.46pm: Pyne ‘porn hack serious’
Bill Shorten says he feels for Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne and regards the alleged hacking of the Defence Industry Minister’s phone as a “very serious concern”.
Mr Pyne’s Twitter account ‘liked’ a gay pornography video in the early hours of this morning.
The Defence Industry Minister has denied responsibility, tweeting “I was hacked overnight!. Someone tried to hack my social media yesterday. Maybe they are making mischief over the plebiscite?”
The Opposition Leader said it was “particularly serious” for a defence minister to have his account hacked, and that Labor would consider a Senate motion proposed by Pyne nemesis Cory Bernardi for the alleged hacking to be investigated.
“In terms of Senator Bernardi’s resolution, that’s not to be voted on straightaway, we will have a look at it,” Mr Shorten said.
“But it is most serious when any minister, especially a Defence Minister, is a victim of a hacking. I think it is a worry and I think the government should take it seriously.”
Greg Brown 2.42pm: Jelly on a plate
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann brings the chamber to laughter by calling Labor’s inconsistencies “wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble, like jelly on a plate”.
His Belgium accent gave it an extra impact.
Liberal senator Ian MacDonald goes to asks another question but admits “I just want to hear more about the wibble wobble”.
Greg Brown 2.28pm: Cash grilled on Hadgkiss pay
Labor senator Doug Cameron asks why former ABCC boss Nigel Hadgkiss was paid for two weeks after he resigned, which was worth $16,000.
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash confirms his official resignation didn’t come into effect until September 27, two weeks after he resigned.
She said it was part of normal procedures.
Senator Cameron asks if the government did this to help him pay for the $8500 penalty he was given by the Fair Work Commission for breaking the building code.
Cash rejects his assertion.
Greg Brown 2.25pm: Questions over Adani
Greens leader Richard Di Natale asks if Australia spoke to Chinese government-owned institutions about funding for the Adani mine at the request of the Indian behemoth.
Senator George Brandis says he doesn’t know the conversations between Trade Minster Steven Ciobo.
But he talks up the mine and savages Queensland Labor for vetoing a concessional loan to it.
“The Australian government and the LNP opposition os very committed to the development of the Adani mine,” Senator Brandis said.
“It is worth more than 10,000 full time jobs to central and northern Queensland.”
Greg Brown 2.15pm: Dealing blows
Labor’s Chris Ketter grills Brandis about LNP preference deals with Pauline Hanson in the Queensland election.
He asks if the Turnbull government supports her views on multiculturalism.
Brandis says he is “disappointed” by the question, saying the Turnbull government has always supported multiculturalism.
“You know what I think of Senator Hanson’s views on a multicultural Australia,” he says.
Brandis adds there has been “no deals” between the LNP and One Nation on preferences in the Queensland election.
Greg Brown 2.12pm: Power politics
Attorney-General George Brandis uses a Dixer to savage Queensland Labor for using state-owned power assets to help its budget bottom line.
Queensland Labor senator Murray Watt yelled: “Who wrote that? You didn’t write that.
Brandis: “No”.
Greg Brown 2.07pm: Hollie Hughes in spotlight
Question Time begins with Labor senator Jacinta Collins grills Senate leader George Brandis for saying a month ago Hollie Hughes had no problem with her eligibility.
Brandis says the High Court is yet to release the reasons for its judgement so he cannot comment further.
He adds she received legal advice from the NSW Liberal Party.
Greg Brown 1.23pm: Clare to vote against electorate
Opposition resources spokesman Jason Clare says he hopes his western Sydney electorate of Blaxland will respect his decision to vote Yes in favour of changing the Marriage Act despite being strongly against it.
Mr Clare, whose electorate was the biggest No vote in the country at nearly 74 per cent, said he was conscious his constituents were largely opposed to the reform.
“I am very conscious for my community overwhelmingly people have a different view and I know that good people with good hearts can have different views on this,” Mr Clare told Sky News.
“I have been very upfront with my community and said to them, I respect your view I hope you respect the fact I have got a different view.”
Mr Clare said he believed it was an issue about “fairness and equality” and explained why he voted in favour of same-sex marriage in 2012.
“My wife Louise is Vietnamese and I was thinking about this issue back in 2012 in the context of my own life, if Louise and I had tried to get married in a different place at a different time we might not have been able to get married because it is an interracial marriage,” Mr Clare said.
“Until 50 years ago in many parts of the United States that would have been illegal, until 1953 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people couldn’t get married in the Northern Territory.
“So looking at this issue I thought to myself, how would I feel if this were done to me?”
MPs in the hot seat after No votes
Greg Brown 12.56pm: Bernardi ‘happy’ for Yes success
Australian Conservatives senator Cory Bernardi says he is “happy” for the joy of the successful Yes campaign despite being one of the most strident opponents of same-sex marriage.
Senator Bernardi said he thought the No campaign was “always going to be up against it” but he was proud of the campaign which won the support of about 38 per cent of survey participants.
“I’ve always said if a majority of Australians in a majority of states vote in support of this, well, I am not going to stand in the way of it,” Senator Bernardi said.
“I am happy for those who are clearly so overjoyed by this decision, I think it is going to have long-term consequences, which is my reservations.
“It is not personal, it is about the shape of the country to come forever.
“But this is going to get through the parliament.”
Greg Brown 12.42pm: Dutton to vote Yes
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says he will vote in favour of changing the Marriage Act despite being against same-sex marriage.
“I have said right from the start that personally I would vote No, which is what I did in the ballot, but if a majority of Australians vote Yes in the democratic process in the postal survey then I would vote Yes in the parliamentary vote and I would honour that commitment,” Mr Dutton told Sydney radio station 2GB.
“I thought it was a nonsense for you to be able to put forward a democratic process and then not adhere to the outcome so I think a lot of Australians will be in that position.”
Rachel Baxendale 11.52am: ‘Why I backed Howard on marriage’: Wong
Labor Senate leader Penny Wong’s same-sex marriage speech followed Dean Smith’s in the chamber this morning.
She hailed today as a proud day of “joy and grace” for Australia, and “a day for all Australians to be proud of themselves and of our nation, a nation which has shown itself to be as generous and as big hearted as we had hoped.”
Senator Wong conceded that when Labor voted to support the Howard government’s amendment to the Marriage Act, she had voted for discrimination against herself and people she loved.
“I had a choice at that time. I could go out in a blaze of publicity, take a public stand against my party and become an outsider in a pretty dramatic way,” Senator Wong said.
“I decided to fight this discrimination from within the political system and I chose to stay and accept the solidarity to which I had signed up as a member of a collective political party.
“I was convinced that Labor as the party of equality would one day be a driving force for reversing the discrimination that I had legislated.”
Senator Wong also paid tribute to her partner, Sophie, and their daughters Alexandra and Hannah.
“This is the most personal of debates because it is about the people who matter most to us. It is about the people we love. So I say to Sophie: Thank you for you love and commitment and for all you do,”Senator Wong said.
“I say to our beautiful daughters, Alexandra and Hannah: I work for and fight for the world I want for you.
“Australians have voted for equality. They have done their part; now it’s time for us to do ours. It’s time for us to get on with it. It’s time to remove discrimination from our Marriage Act. It’s time to legislate for marriage equality.”
Greg Brown 10.46am: Plibersek condemns ‘distressing’ process
Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek says the postal survey “told us exactly what we already knew” as she savaged Malcolm Turnbull for the process which paved the way for legalising same-sex marriage.
“I’m proud of Australia for saying yes to this but we cannot take away from the fact that this has been distressing and difficult for many, many people,” Ms Plibersek told ABC radio.
“We know that calls to helpline type services have gone through the roof during this period, and I’ve spoken to so many, many young people who felt alone and unsupported by friends and family during this period.
“And also to people who’ve been out for decades who said it made them feel just like they were 15 again, just like they were hiding from their friends and neighbours and family. It took them right back to those confused feelings as a teenager.”
She said she would judge amendments on a “case by case” basis.
“I think that it’s very significant for people to understand that there should not be too much mucking around with a bill that already has cross-party support,” Ms Plibersek said.
“If there are minor technical amendments, of course we’ll look at them on a case-by-case basis, but anything that looks like deliberate delay, or the opponents of marriage equality coming to try and stop this or delay it by some other means, is not something that we could accept or countenance.”
Greg Brown 10.19am: PM hints at extending sitting weeks
Malcolm Turnbull says parliament can extend past its scheduled final sitting day to ensure it passes same-sex marriage before Christmas.
The Prime Minister said parliament “can sit longer” if it fails to pass laws that will allow gay couples to marriage by the final sitting day of December 7.
“Parliament can sit longer,” Mr Turnbull told Brisbane radio station Hit105.
“We can obviously change our sitting days. I think we’re all committed to getting this done before Christmas… it’s a fascinating subject but I don’t think anyone wants to be debating it, here on Christmas Eve.”
Rachel Baxendale 10.11am: Smith bill’s conservative origins
Senator Smith says same-sex marriage reflects the deepest conservative and liberal ideas.
“Liberal because it advances the sum of freedoms and conservative because it nurtures our families, affirms a vital institution and strengthens the social fabric which is the sum of all of our human relationships,” he says.
“Today I think of John Gorton, the only Prime Minister to come from the Senate, and who 44 years ago moved a motion calling for the decriminalisation of homosexuality.
“In him we saw a liberalism that was empathetic and a man who, even after achieving the highest office, was still willing to walk a mile in another man’s shoes.
“Gorton’s mantle was taken up by hundreds of Liberal and National Party members who leant their name to the Libs and Nats for Yes campaign. To all I say thank you.”
Senator Smith also singles out Queensland MP Warren Entsch, who is in New York on secondment to the UN, for praise.
“When I look at this victory and the thousands who made it possible, I keep thinking of one man, the one who carried the torch well before there were any other LGBTI members of the coalition,” he says.
“That man is the member for Leichardt, Warren Entsch. Like John Gorton, he is a wonderful mix of gruffness and empathy that made him the most unexpected but compelling of warriors.
“This bill is more Warren’s than anyone’s. We simply walk in the tracks that he’s laid for us.”
Senator Smith warns conservatives seeking to amend his bill, that the bill “is solely about amending the Marriage Act.”
“I believe this is a comprehensive bill and I’m willing to engage in the substantive issues the bill addresses.
“This bill seeks to remove existing discrimination from the Marriage Act, protect religious institutions and does not re-introduce commercial discrimination.
“Let me be clear: amendments that seek to address other issues or which seek to deny gay and lesbian Australians with the full rights, responsibilities and privileges that they already have will be strenuously opposed.
“Australians did not vote for equality before the law so that equality before the law that is already gained be stripped away.”
Senator Smith says the bill recognises that marriage transcends our civic and religious life.
“In many ways, the undercurrent debate over recent years has been the question: Is marriage a wholly secular institution or a holy secular institution?” he says.
“My message is it can still be both, without curtailing our civic or religious freedoms.
“This bill advances the civic rights of all Australians and provides protection for religious institutions to continue to be guided by their own tenants of their own faith.
“Nothing in this bill takes away an existing right nor does any of it diminish an existing civil freedom. The change proposed in this bill is not revolutionary, it is evolutionary.”
Senator Smith says that while he has spoken as a gay Australian, he is also a Christian Australian.
“It is much a part of who I am as my nationality or, indeed, my sexuality and it is, in part, why I wrestled with this issue for so long” he says.
“My faith is not a platform, it’s a refuge. It is why on my desk there stands a Crucifix. It gives me strength when there appear to be difficult times ahead of me.
“So I want to acknowledge the very genuine concerns some Christians and religious people around Australia have expressed during this postal survey and give a voice to them.
“People voted No not because they had a particular problem with gay and lesbian Australians but because they felt it was the easiest expression of their fear about the change in Australian culture towards people of religious faith.
“They fear a world where violence might be directed against them by a mad few for no other reason than the faith they profess, the place in which they choose to worship.
“I understand these fears because they are reflections of the fear that LGBTI citizens have felt through our country’s history. Fears about acceptance. Fears about jobs. Fears about hiding a part of you. Yes, fears about violence.
“This vote is not about, and must not be about, replacing one persecuted minority with another, or giving one hope to one group while inflicting fear on another group.”
Senator Smith became emotional as he said that as a young man he never believed he could serve as a senior adviser to a Prime Minister or a Premier because he was a gay man.
“John Howard and Richard Court both proved me wrong,” he said.
“I never believed that I could be preselected to be a Liberal Party candidate or senator. The Liberal Party proved me wrong.
“I didn’t believe my name would ever be accepted by the people at an election. The people of Western Australia proved me wrong.
“And I never believed the day would come when my relationship would be judged by my country to be as meaningful and valued as any other. The Australian people have proven me wrong.”
Senator Smith said those who want to frustrate change should not under-estimate Australia.
“Don’t under-estimate the Australian people,” he said.
“Don’t under-estimate our country’s sense of fairness, its sense of decency and its willingness to be a country for all of us.
“Not only does our country live these values, it votes for them as well,” he said.
Politicians from every party present in the chamber, including all of his own Coalition colleagues, shook hands with Senator Smith and embraced him following his speech.
What will the private member’s bill look like?
9.57am: I was hacked: Pyne on gay porn ‘like’
Cabinet minister Christopher Pyne says his Twitter account was hacked after social media users noticed his account “liked” a gay porn site. “I was hacked overnight!” Mr Pyne tweeted on Thursday morning, noting he was asleep at 2am when the pornographic image was “liked”.
“Someone tried to hack my social media yesterday. Maybe they are making mischief over the plebiscite?” Mr Pyne’s account has since removed the post, but not everybody was buying his explanation.
“I don’t think so darling. Welcome to the club,” one Twitter user replied. More than 100 people responded within hours of the minister trying to pour cold water on the situation.
“Mate, even my 3yo knows when he’s been naughty. Be accountable for your own actions,” posted another.
I was hacked overnight! I was 😴 at 2am. Someone tried to hack my social media yesterday. Maybe they are making mischief over the plebiscite?
— Christopher Pyne (@cpyne) November 15, 2017
Several pointed out the peculiar tactic of hacking an account to “like” one rogue tweet.
“Hahaha ... funny as. The hacker got in and liked one post,” one user said. “Yeah. This is the most common thing hackers do. Be careful everyone!” warned another.
Some pointed to the gravity of the situation.
“It’s quite serious if the accounts of the Minister for Defence Industry have been compromised,” one person said.
“You should request that the AFP and other relevant authorities investigate.” It is not the first time a high profile figure has fallen prey to porn-liking hackers.
Earlier this year, the Australian Border Force was asked to explain why Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg’s Twitter account liked a pornographic tweet. It came after United States Republican Senator Ted Cruz was also forced to explain his account “liking” a pornographic post in September. Senator Cruz blamed the “inadvertent mistake” not on hackers but rather “a staffing issue.”
AAP
Rachel Baxendale 9.46am: Smith thanks public for Yes vote
Smith begins his speech by saying gay and lesbian Australians may not have wanted the postal plebiscite process, but “must acknowledge with awe and gratitude the willingness of our country men and women to stand beside us, to affirm us, and to join us in voting Yes.”
“On behalf of the gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and intersex Australians and their families, I say with humility and with gratitude, thank you,” Smith says.
“Yesterday we saw a glimpse of the country we all yearn for, a country that is fair-minded, generous and accepting.
“We saw a country that was willing to embrace its hopes rather than hold on to its fears.
“The wonder of this result is that it brings together young and old, gay and straight, conservative and progressive, immigrant and indigenous in the most unifying Australian coalition.
“True, some wanted a 15-year debate to be over so that we could move on to other pressing issues but, mostly, there was an understanding by our fellow citizens that the life path for young gay or lesbian teenager or young adult is harder than their heterosexual brothers and sisters.
“Australians voted to make that path easier.”
Rachel Baxendale 9.42am: SSM debate begins in Senate
Liberal senator Dean Smith has risen in the Senate to give his second reading speech for his same-sex marriage private members’ bill.
Many more Labor and Greens than Coalition senators are present in the chamber to hear it.
Those of his colleagues who are present for the historic moment include same-sex marriage supporters Simon Birmingham, Marise Payne, Jane Hume, Linda Reynolds, and James Paterson who yesterday conceded Senator Smith’s bill was preferred over his own bill by the majority of their colleagues.
Jonathan Duniam and Bridget McKenzie, who have previously expressed opposition to same-sex marriage are also here, as are pro same-sex marriage Liberal MPs Tim Wilson, Trevor Evans and Trent Zimmerman.
Labor same-sex marriage spokeswoman Terri Butler is also in the chamber.
Greg Brown 9.32am: No pressure on Labor MPs
Opposition justice spokesman Mark Dreyfus says Labor MPs should not feel pressured to voting against a bill to legalise same-sex marriage if their electorates were strongly opposed to changing the Marriage Act.
Mr Dreyfus said it was not the job of MPs to vote in line with their electorates.
“These members of Parliament, all of them have been pretty courageous in taking the positions that they have in favour of marriage equality … knowing that the prevailing view in their electorates might well be a vote for No,” he said.
“I don’t think any of them have suggested that they’re going to change their positions because of the particular vote in their own electorates.”
Mr Dreyfus said many voters would have been put off by the No campaign raising concerns about “extraneous matters”.
“Some of them because of fears of the unknown, some of them because of concerns that had been raised about extraneous matters. About matters that have got nothing to do with marriage equality,” Mr Dreyfus said.
“I think that once marriage equality happens in Australia many of those fears will simply go away. I don’t think that in the long term this is going to be a concern even for those who have voted No.”
Greg Brown 8.57am: Labor unperturbed by ‘No’ electorates
Bill Shorten says Labor has always been supported by people of religious conviction as he rejected the party may have a problem holding onto a swag of western Sydney seats which voted No.
The Opposition Leader said there were plenty of issues important to people other than same-sex marriage which would be prosecuted in seats with conservative social values. Nine Labor-held seats in western Sydney voted No, while two Labor Melbourne seats voted No.
The No vote was the majority in just 17 out of 150 electorates.
“There have always been plenty of people of religious conviction supported Labor,” Mr Shorten said.
“There are plenty of other issues in Australia at the moment. Will your kids be able to get a job, housing prices, the cost of going to university or TAFE.
“Labor is looking after the everyday person, we are looking after the needs of everyday Australians on matters of the economy and the hip pocket.”
Mr Shorten said the party would not be deterred in supporting same-sex marriage despite a strong rejection of the reform in its western Sydney heartland.
“I have always respected that there are some Australians that don’t support marriage equality but that will not deter me from ensuring that we legislate for marriage equality,” Mr Shorten said.
“Some people do not like it or they believe it to be very unfamiliar. I am confident that once we make the changes a whole lot of Australians will say ‘what was the fuss’.”
Greg Brown 8.36am: Brandis’ religious protections assurances
Attorney-General George Brandis says his proposed amendments to the Dean Smith bill to increase religious protections are not legally necessary but he would move them to reassure religious people their views would be protected under a change to the Marriage Act.
Senator Brandis said he did not think Senator Smith’s bill needed many amendments despite calls from Coalition MPs for wide amendments to the bill.
Senator Brandis yesterday announced he would support an amendment to the bill to allow civil celebrants to conscientiously object to a gay ceremony while ensuring it was lawful to proclaim a view that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.
“I agree with what Penny Wong said in the Senate yesterday where she said we haven’t voted to remove one form of discrimination only to erect another form of discrimination,” Senator Brandis told ABC radio.
“So I don’t think Senator Smith’s bill does need a lot of amendment, that is my own view, I think there does need to be a little fine tuning.”
“I announced yesterday that I would be moving two amendments, neither of those amendments are strictly legally necessary but I think they are worthwhile to give the reassurance to the millions of Australians who voted No that their religious freedoms will not be impinged on by this bill.”
Senator Brandis said the result proved the postal survey was worthwhile.
“Although people had misgivings about the process the fact is we now know that every Australian has had the opportunity to have a say and eight out of 10 of them took up that opportunity,” he said.
“So if ever there was a measure which has an emphatic democratic mandate it is this and it is up to the parliament to give effect to the wishes of the Australian people.”
Greg Brown 8.14am: Postal survey a ‘hard time’ for LGBTIQ community: Wong
Labor senate leader Penny Wong still thinks the postal survey never should have happened despite the strong victory for the Yes campaign.
“I still have the view that we should have just dealt with it in the parliament,” Senator Wong told Nine Network.
“I am really overjoyed that we have got the result that we have got for, not just for me and for gay and lesbian couples everywhere, but for the whole Australian community because I think this went to what sort of country we are.”
“But I also will say this (survey) was really hard for many people. And the personal stories you hear about not just people being abused, but families being fractured, because of differences of views.
“This has been a hard time for the LGBTIQ community.”
7.58am: Labor MP won’t change gay marriage view
Labor frontbencher Tony Burke has no intention of changing his support for same- sex marriage despite nearly 70 per cent of his western Sydney electorate rebuffing his stance.
The Watson electorate recorded one of the highest ‘no’ votes in the country. Mr Burke told ABC radio on Thursday it would be completely inconsistent with his pre-election position and his commitment to address discrimination to oppose same-sex marriage in parliament.
AAP
Greg Brown 7.50am: Diversity behind western Sydney’s No vote: PM
Malcolm Turnbull says western Sydney’s ethnic diversity and its large Muslim population was a reason the region was the strongest No vote in the nation.
The Prime Minister downplayed the 12 seats in Sydney which backed the No vote, noting nearly 90 per cent of seats swung behind the Yes cause.
But he said Sydney’s diversity was an explanation why its vote was lower than the national average.
“You’ve got in western Sydney, in some parts of western Sydney, you’ve got very diverse cultural communities and some of those seats you’ve got a very big Muslim community who are very conservative on issues like this and have very little support for same-sex marriage,” Mr Turnbull told Seven Network.
“But that is fine it is a free country; that is why I wanted to give everyone their say. I am committed respecting the views of every Australian.”
Greg Brown 7.35am: PM seeks to take credit for SSM result
Malcolm Turnbull has declared same-sex marriage “wouldn’t have happened without my pushing” as he vows the parliament will change the Marriage Act by Christmas.
The Prime Minister said he was “moved” by the resounding Yes victory in the postal survey and that the parliament would heed the will of the people and promptly legalise gay marriage.
“The people that have said Yes in such resounding numbers are our bosses. So we all understand that. And the message is Yes, now let’s get on with it and get it done,” Mr Turnbull told Nine Network.
He claimed vindication for the postal survey which was bitterly opposed by his political opponents and some Coalition MPs.
“I guess it wouldn’t have happened without my pushing. There was a lot of opposition to having this survey. Crossbenchers, the Labor Party, even people on my own side that didn’t want to have it,” Mr Turnbull said.
"I am very confident it will all be dealt with before Christmas." -@TurnbullMalcolm #9Today pic.twitter.com/gHyWoD0KVV
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) November 15, 2017
“I put my faith in the goodwill, in the common sense of Australians and they responded with responsibly, with love, and with respect. So they put their arms around same-sex couples and said we respect you, we love you, your committed relationship is worthy of the same respect as ours.”
Mr Turnbull said he was confident the Yes case would succeed but a recent string of wrong polls internationally kept him on edge about the result.
He noted the parliament had a free vote but doubted many amendments to the Dean Smith bill would be carried.
“There will be plenty of amendments moved, I don’t know how many will get carried. It’s a free vote so both on my side and on Labor’s side members and Senators are able to vote as they wish,” Mr Turnbull said.
“I have every expectation, highly confident, it will all be done before Christmas.”
What’s making news:
• Malcolm Turnbull has cleared the ground for a compromise on same-sex marriage that aims to protect religious freedom, as he vows to pass laws by Christmas to heed the nation’s emphatic 61.6 per cent vote in favour of the historic social reform.
• Treasurer Scott Morrison is leading behind-the-scenes negotiations with supporters of the Dean Smith same-sex marriage bill, as conservative MPs demand the preservation of parental rights but concede on protections for businesses that refuse commercial dealings with gay wedding ceremonies.
• Majority opposition to same-sex marriage in Labor seats across Sydney’s west — topped by the nation’s highest No vote of 73.9 per cent in Blaxland, formerly held by Paul Keating — has left eight federal MPs out of step with the community attitude in their electorates.
• The No campaign against same-sex marriage has warned it won’t go “quietly into the night” and has pledged to escalate its defence of freedom of speech and religion at future elections.
• Tony Abbott said he would “not frustrate the will of the public” in his Sydney electorate of Warringah, where an overwhelming 75 per cent of voters cast their ballots in favour of gay marriage.
• A landmark ruling that prevented NSW Liberal candidate Hollie Hughes from replacing former cabinet minister Fiona Nash in the Senate because she took up a government job a year after the 2016 election has created a new constitutional headache for federal parliament.
• Former NSW deputy premier John Watkins was approached by Labor to run for Bennelong and was considering whether to do so just before Kristina Keneally announced she would fight the December 16 federal by-election.
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