Bill Shorten and Tanya Plibersek must be commended for their decision to table a bill on same-sex marriage. It is well past time Australia joined the 21st century on this issue. But Labor’s timing on this — just as the government is trying to sell a relatively well-received budget — is opportunistic and cynical.
Of course Labor is keen to get itself some of those warm and fuzzy feelings that Ireland experienced at the weekend. But it’s unlikely the government will allow the opposition its day in the sun on this issue just yet.
No bill gets considered in the lower house without the government’s approval. Will the Abbott government allow the vote to go ahead? The PM’s comments this morning suggest not.
At yet another whistle-stop on his tour of the country’s small businesses, Abbott told journalists his party would have a “full and frank and candid and decent debate” about the issue if and when it were brought before Parliament.
But he also characterised it as a distraction from the government’s task at hand: improving business confidence and passing its 2015 budget. “There’s a total focus inside the government on improving our economy and boosting small business,” he said.
After a disastrous budget in 2014, there is a miniscule chance that the Abbott government will allow Labor and gay marriage to take the spotlight just now — and Bill Shorten knows that.
Both parties need to stop playing politics with this issue, and just legalise the damn thing.
It’s Abbott who has played politics with the issue of Gay Marriage, and he will do such until the last vote is counted. Moreover, nothing Abbott says or does is for any other reason than short term politics.
What Shorten has done, is call the Government’s bluff on the issue. Shorten is basically forcing the government to stop pretending it has any plans to move on the issue.
For Abbott to now delay and frustrate the process will leave him exposed as the shallow and mean spirited man that he is.
Using the politics of a situation to your advantage in advancing a policy position is usually regarded as being smart. But for some reason Crikey like the rest of the media will never cut Shorten any slack. Maybe it’s because he has so much blood on his hands and the media pack (which Crikey can only pretend it is not part of) has decided that Bill is just a punching bag of no value.
Why offer any analysis of how Bill has played the game the last 18 months. Just bag and slag at every chance. Why point out the fact that Bill is not Tony in anyway. And that when the election comes, a majority of people will feel ok about not voting for the government. Bill might just deliver a truly dull and boring government that let’s people get on with their lives without fearing what Tony and his gang might surprise them with next.
Bill has actually played this latest round of gay marriage law reform perfectly. That’s why so many people are so upset at what he’s done. The emperor in the closest has just his budgie smugglers left on and the mob is at the door ready to strip him bare.
Playing politics is what politicians do, especially oppositions. Get real. This is a wet noodle accusation.
So it’s Crikey’s opinion they should “just pass the thing”. Why? Why is it OK in the 21st century but wasn’t OK for 20 and more centuries before? Gay couples have all the legal rights of heterosexual couples, except the right to “get married”. They are allowed to have defacto “marriages” and have those relationships legally accepted in all relevant areas. So why should the definition of “marriage” change just to suit homosexuals? What about the sensibilities of Christians, who hold the the definition sacred, on whose values most of our laws have been based? And if this is 21st century stuff, what is going to to be OK later in the century, or next century, that isn’t OK now?
I agree with your comments, Simon.
How the hell is the gay marriage question ever to be debated in the parliament if someone doesn’t introduce it?
If we wait for the rAbbott to do that, it will never happen.
Good on Bill Shorten! Crikey – you are wrong on this one.
I don’t believe it! Moderated for agreeing with Simon @ #1!!! You are on notice, Crikey.