Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is standing firm against giving same-sex couples the right to marry in Australia despite his daughters’ views on the issue
A day after his daughters publicly announced their support for same-sex marriage, Australian Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has doubled down in his opposition to same-sex couples being allowed to wed – saying that he will never allow his MPs a conscience vote on the issue while the party line was to oppose it.
‘Coalition party policy is that marriage is between a man and a woman,’ Abbott told Sky News on Sunday night after his daughters Bridget and Frances went public on the issue in an interview with News Ltd. weekend newspapers.
‘If future party rooms decide that it is no longer party policy, well then, obviously, there won’t be a whipped vote, but it will be up to future party rooms to determine what the policy is.
‘While it’s party policy there’s no question of a conscience vote. It only becomes a free vote if there is no policy on the subject.’
The commitment means that, as long as Abbott is Opposition Leader and there is majority opposition to marriage equality in the Liberal and National party room, dissenting MPs will not get a free vote on the issue.
Abbott’s rationale for stopping MPs from voting with their consciences was attacked by Graham Perrett – an MP from the ruling Labor Party who has two gay brothers.
‘He [is saying that] because it’s the policy now, it must be the policy forever, which is a bizarre approach,’ Perrett told Sky News today.
‘He’s saying it’s set in stone.’
Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome warned that Abbott’s stance on the issue would be alienating to younger voters who supported reform on the issue.
‘Mr Abbott’s decision to rule out a conscience vote will cost the Coalition votes, particularly from young people who see this as a signature issue,’ Croome said in a statement to GSN.
‘The decision will be particularly costly to Liberal candidates in inner-city seats who support marriage equality but won’t be able to vote for it if they are elected.’
Croome said that Abbott’s Liberal Party, which styled itself as the party of small government and individual rights, should be allowing its members a vote on the issue as individuals.
‘It is absurd that Labor has a conscience vote when it is supposedly the party of solidarity and the Liberals are enforcing party discipline when they are meant to be the party of individual freedom,’ Croome said.
Abbott’s sister Christine Forster is a City of Sydney councilor and is in a long term lesbian relationship.
Author: Andrew Potts
Publication: Gay Star News
Publication Date: April 1, 2013