17th August, 2015
Liberal backbencher Warren Entsch introduced a private member’s bill which would legalise same sex marriage into Federal Parliament today despite a decision by the Coalition party room last week not to allow a conscience vote on the issue.
The bill was co-sponsored by Government backbencher Teresa Gambaro, Labor’s Terri Butler and Laurie Ferguson, Greens MP Adam Bandt and independents Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan.
Mr Entsch said the bill was designed to "give same-sex couples in Australia the same right to marry the person they love as that which is currently only granted by law to heterosexual couples" and added that it provides "absolute protection of religious freedoms".
The move has come after the Prime Minister Tony Abbott said following last week’s party room decision that the issue would go to a "people’s vote" in the next term of Parliament. He said today that the process for going forward would be finalised "very shortly".
The ABC reported that the bill was now expected to be put on the backburner by the Government-dominated selection committee that decides which legalisation will be put to a vote.
– DAVID ADAMS
