The Turnbull government will today make a decision on whether or not to sanction a plebiscite on same-sex marriage.
The meeting comes after Liberal MP’s rejected the idea to allow a free vote.
Many are frustrated with the announcement with hundreds of people tweeting via the #plebiscite hashtag.
#LNP Govt wants the #plebiscite bc it
a) delays #MarriageEquality
b) enables a campaign of #homophobia
c) it’s non-binding anyway #auspol— Peter Murphy (@PeterWMurphy1) August 8, 2017
Decision to put a plebiscite to the parliament again instead of MPs doing our job is simply delaying the inevitable. A failure of leadership
— Sarah Hanson-Young (@sarahinthesen8) August 7, 2017
The plebiscite is a policy that failed last year. It is a policy that will fail again. #marriageequality
— AU Marriage Equality (@AMEquality) August 7, 2017
In November last year the Greens, Labor, Derryn Hinch and the Nick Xenophon Team joined forces to block the governments same sex marriage plebiscite proposal in the Senate.
“The NXT position hasn’t changed – we don’t support a plebiscite on marriage equality, as the elected parliament it’s our duty to vote on legislation,” Skye Kakoschke-Moore said to the Guardian.
If the Senate knock back another plebiscite bill then we could see a postal plebiscite.
It would be an optional ballot where all eligible voters are mailed out voting papers for them to return by post.
Today Show host Karl Stefanovic is one of many Australians calling “a non-binding, non-compulsory postal vote… complete BS.”
“A non-binding, non-compulsory postal vote is complete BS.. Pull your fingers out in Canberra and get on with it..”- @karlstefanovic #9Today pic.twitter.com/DZOnfNZZyx
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) August 7, 2017
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann gave a press conference yesterday explaining the Liberal Party’s position on same-sex marriage.
“Our preference is to give the Australian people a say through a compulsory attendance plebiscite. Should that not succeed through the Senate, the government believes that there is a legal and constitutional way forward to give the Australian people a say through a non-legislated, voluntary postal plebiscite,” he said.
Minister Cormann confirmed that the Liberal Party room “resolved to maintain the policy” that was taken “to the last election.”
“Give the Australian people a say on whether or not the definition of marriage should be changed in our Marriage Act.”
If the plebiscite bill passes through the Senate, the vote will be held on November 25.
A decision should be made as early as this week.
#BREAKING Liberal party room meeting on same-sex marriage ends. Only 7 MPs voted to change the party’s position. https://t.co/5S8xMg6pOE
— Stephanie Peatling (@srpeatling) August 7, 2017
