Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says a deal was struck to to force a vote on her same-sex marriage bill, but that it was between Labor and the Coalition and not her party.
The Marriage Equality (Amendment) bill was voted down after only 30 minutes of debate and there was widespread speculation a deal had been done to force the proposal to a vote.
The senator finally agreed to talk after Sydney Star Observer last week published claims substantiated by multiple sources that the party had struck the deal to force the vote.
Hanson-Young said the Greens had only three opportunities a year to have private members bills.
“I pushed in my party room that I was to have the February spot, because we didn’t know if we would be allocated another one before the next election,” Hanson-Young said.
“Private senators time happens on Thursday afternoon and can happen any time before but no later than 4.30 as a general rule.
“Our private members time was to be allocated that afternoon [so] I came out quite strongly in the week leading up to make people know that was what I was intending to use that time for, I could predict both major parties would not want to discuss this issue.
“I was fearful that if I just brought forward the bill … there would be a movement of the agenda, an agreement of the major parties to squash that bill coming forward because it’s controversial and obviously they don’t want to deal with that.”
Hanson-Young said the issue became too publicised for the major parties to simply block discussion.
“What ended up happening on Thursday [was] both major parties realising that I had been so public in saying this bill was going to be discussed that they couldn’t quietly squash it and remove it from the agenda … so they gave us as limited time as possible — it ended up being just over half an hour, and they brought it on straight away once they had come to the agreement,” she said.
“Because neither of the major parties, particularly the Government, were prepared to put forward more than one speaker, it did only happen within that short amount of time and the vote was called before the normal 4.30 cut-off.
“In the lead-up to all of this, I had been saying … that there are members on both sides of the major parties who obviously want to be able to speak out on this issue but don’t feel they have the ability to because they’re told to toe the party line.
Recently there was quite a stir at comments made by Abbott on the 60 Minutes program in relation to equality for same-sex oriented couples enjoying the same rights of heterosexual couples.
The gay and lesbian community - whoever they are?!?! - were quite scathing at the comments by Abbott. Frankly, it is to be expected. He is a conservative and holds true to the conservative line.
It is important to realise that the issue is NOT with our opposition and Abbott; rather, it stands with our current Government. They went to the last Federal election with a platform of 'equality' and removing discrimination on the basis of sexual-orientation. The only moves made have been surface level. When it comes to the crunch, they, shake in their proverbial collective boots and don't want to cause a stir.
Frankly its a bit shameful that in this day and age that these sorts of topics still warrant discussion.
Will Kevin Rudd say "sorry" to us? Unlikely. He has already "come out" and stated that he, personally, does not support true equality across sexual-orientation.
And since Rudd IS the Government (come on, isn't anyone else representing the country and the people???), that will be their party-line until he has gone.
Don't be fooled! Labor. Liberal. It won't make any change to anti-discrimination of same-sex oriented Australians. Don't let them make it a political agenda for the upcoming election. Its a lie and they will not make the change! Guaranteed!
Sylvestor