Kevin Rudd has challenged Tony Abbott to allow a conscience vote on marriage equality, saying it was time to end the issue once and for all.
Mr Rudd, who came out in support of marriage equality a few months ago, said: “Whoever wins the next election, let’s just have the civility to open this to a conscience vote for all.”
In May, the former Nambour High student, whose sister Loree is strong opponent of gay marriage, says an encounter with a ‘God-botherer’ Pentecostal who is gay has helped changed his stance on gay marriage.
Mr Rudd said he now believed the church and state should have different positions on the question of same sex marriage.
The PM said the issue was causing unnecessary anxiety for those in the gay and lesbian community who wanted the same rights as others.
He said young people, in particular, could not believe Australia did not allow gay marriage.
“Wherever I go in Australia, young people think that our current arrangements are just wrong.”
He described marriage equality, along with decent broadband, as two big selling points for Labor among young voters.
Mr Rudd also challenged Mr Abbott for a national debate on Australia’s debt and deficit as he vows to bring in a less divisive style of politics.
“Let’s have a debate about the facts,” Mr Rudd told a press conference on Friday afternoon.
Mr Rudd said he would be sitting down with business community, the unions and Mr Abbott to discuss a better way forward for Australia.
The Prime Minister has also promised to give the Better Schools program or Gonski reforms his top priority.
He announced he would extend the deadline for states to accept the deal beyond June 30 by two weeks so he could personally meet with Premiers and Ministers to gain their support.
Mr Rudd, who attended Nambour High School along with former Treasurer Wayne Swan, said that school would receive an extra $10.8 million over the next six years under the Better Schools program.
He said as a former student he felt passionate about ensuring Nambour students had the same opportunities as any other kids in the country.
As a Queenslander, he said he expected a warm reception from the Newman government, especially after this week’s State of Origin victory.
Mr Rudd said his new ministry would be sworn in next Monday.
But he said he would not be making any policy change announcements until he had fully canvassed them in Cabinet.
Mr Rudd admitted one of the things he had learnt from his last period in office was the need to be better consult with his colleagues.
The former PM confirmed would be talking to his Cabinet about the carbon tax but he would not be drawn on details.
Mr Rudd said one of the reasons he had decided to return was that he feared the important reforms that had been brought in by himself and Ms Gillard would be lost.
“The government was on track to a catastrophic defeat,” he said.
He said proper investment in schools, urban rail projects, the national broadband network and workers’ rights will be lost if Mr Abbott controlled both the lower and upper houses of parliament.
“We would have seen them simply disappear,” he said.
“Had we lost in the Senate as well, who knows what would have happened.”
“Some of these good reforms have been Julia’s.”
“Some of these reforms date back to the period when I was Prime Minister.”
“I could not stand by and allow all these good changes to be thrown away.”
Mr Rudd confirmed he wanted to make some policy changes, sending a strong signal that he wanted to woo back the business community.
But he said journalists who wanted to see a raft of announcements in the next week should ‘just chill for a while’
“This will be done through the proper process of Cabinet.
“Frankly, decision making is always much better when it can be done collegiately,”
Author: APN Newsdesk
Publication: NewsMail
Date: 28 June 2013