Resolve MPs’ citizenship before same-sex marriage: Cory Bernardi

Cory Bernardi has called for a delay in legalising same-sex marriage if the Yes vote prevails.

Cory Bernardi in the Senate chamber on Wednesday, September 13, 2017. Picture: Lukas Coch/AAP Image/Lukas Coch.

Australian Conservatives senator Cory Bernardi has called for a delay in legalising same-sex marriage if the Yes vote prevails, declaring it more pressing to resolve the citizenship crisis engulfing parliament.

The call to delay any legislation comes after the No campaign warned the Turnbull government not to ignore religious freedoms in the event of a Yes vote, saying the lobby group could campaign against the Coalition at the next election.

Senator Bernardi — who has been pushing for parliament to be suspended while the eligibility of all MPs is audited — said there were more urgent problems in the remainder of the sitting year than passing a bill to amend the Marriage Act.

“It is much more pressing to deal with the composition of the parliament to establish that it is actually constitutionally allowed to exist in its current status,” he told ABC radio.

Senator Bernardi, who defected from the Liberal Party this year, said he would respect any ­result that came out of the same-sex marriage survey, despite being strongly against the change.

“Eighty per cent of people, or thereabouts, have voted. I think that has exceeded the expectations of both sides of the debate,” he said.

“I hope that the people will respect the result, notwithstanding we are going to have differences about the shape of any bill that goes forward ... but nonetheless it has been a pretty positive exercise for the country.”

Tasmanian Liberal senator Eric Abetz, another supporter of traditional marriage, said he wanted any legislation to be dealt with by Christmas if the postal vote returned a Yes outcome when the result is declared next Wednesday

Senator Abetz said the private member’s bill for same-sex marriage proposed by his WA Liberal Senate colleague Dean Smith was not an appropriate starting point for any legislation to amend the Marriage Act.

A senior source from the No campaign told The Australian this week that “tens of thousands” of members of a new grassroots political movement would be watching how the government protected freedom of religion, speech and conscience in the event of a Yes vote.

“These people will have no choice but to carry their campaigning into the next election if they are let down again,” the source said. “A majority of those on the campaign were first-time campaigners.

“A sophisticated and now proven set of tools and infrastructure has provided the framework for the grassroots to grow.”

The government has promised to facilitate a private member’s bill to legalise same-sex marriage in the event of a Yes vote, but the No campaign argues it does not adequately protect freedom of religion.