Page 5458 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 November 2011

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MR BARR: No. I recognised that that would be raised. As I said, I do not believe that within the Liberal Party, your party, there is the prospect of adopting a binding position in support of marriage equality. I do not believe that is a likely outcome. I suspect that what will be the outcome in the Labor Party is that we will have a conscience vote; undoubtedly pressure will then build within the Liberal Party to enable Liberal MPs to exercise their conscience on this matter. I do not think that it should be a matter of conscience, but ultimately I am a pragmatist and I recognise where debates are going. It is in this context that I raise this matter tonight.

Obviously it will be a matter for Liberal members to comment on their own personal positions and what they believe their party should do in relation to this matter. I look forward to their contribution later this evening. I hope that amongst the ranks of even the Canberra Liberals there might be one member who might be prepared to put on the public record their support for marriage equality, as I know there are members in other state and territory parliaments who are members of the Liberal Party and who have expressed that support.

I seek leave to move my amendments together.

Leave granted.

MR BARR: I move:

(1) In paragraph (2), omit “provide for marriage equality”, substitute “ensure equal access to marriage under statute for all adult couples, irrespective of sex, who have a mutual commitment to a shared life. These amendments should ensure that nothing in the Marriage Act imposes an obligation on a minister of religion to solemnise any marriage.”.

(2) Add:

“(3) calls on the Liberal Party to, at the very least, grant a conscience vote to its MPs on this issue.

I again thank Mr Rattenbury for bringing this matter forward tonight. I acknowledge the support of all of my parliamentary colleagues here in the ACT and Labor caucus for their strong support, expressed at our branch conference earlier this year. In fact, every time this issue or any issue of equal rights for gay and lesbian Canberrans has been brought before this chamber, there has been unanimous support within the parliamentary caucus of the Labor Party in support of equality. That, I know, is warmly welcomed by Canberra’s gay and lesbian community; they know that they have a government that supports them in this Labor government. With the support of the Greens, we hope to be able to achieve a significant advance for equality in Australia in the years ahead.

MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (7.54): The Canberra Liberals will not be supporting the amendments or the motion. I want to start with some of Mr Barr’s comments. There was an extraordinary disconnect in what is in his amendments and what he is actually arguing for. On the one hand, his amendments


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