Labor Has Announced They’ll Put Forward A Bill On Marriage Equality This Monday
BREAKING: BILL SHORTEN DID SOMETHING.
Labor leader Bill Shorten and Deputy leader Tanya Plibersek just dropped a goddamn bombshell on Twitter and announced they’d be moving a bill on marriage equality this coming Monday.
This is happening next week. Six days from now. I’d say it’s all moving very quickly except for the fact this has been the longest fucking wait of all our lives.
I have given notice that I will move a Bill on Monday which will finally bring about #marriageequality in Australia pic.twitter.com/sOdY3R2gb1
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) May 26, 2015
Bill Shorten & I have just given formal notice we will present a bill for marriage equality to the Parliament next wk pic.twitter.com/ZQsFfp8585
— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) May 26, 2015
In a corresponding Facebook post, Shorten reiterated that he had given notice that he’d move a Private Member’s Bill in the House of Reps and declared, “It’s time for our laws to reflect the values of modern Australia and to include everyone as equals.”
“All MPs should have a free vote on this matter,” he said. “Let’s make marriage equality a reality.”
"Marriage Equality Bill, they'll call me"
— Peter Taggart (@petertaggart) May 26, 2015
It’s been seven long months since we first got excited about this IRL version of Droopy the sad cartoon dog when he made strong statements for marriage equality to the Australian Christian Lobby, and now he’s finally done something to help fix it.
Interestingly, this also comes just a couple of hours after Anthony Albanese made a stand on the issue in the Federation Chamber.
Just called for a vote in the Parliament on #marriageequality this year. https://t.co/bKCSI0HuBN
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) May 26, 2015
“It is now time for Australia to join the nations that have recognised that people should be allowed to marry the person that they love,” he said. “Giving one group of people the rights they have been denied does not in any way diminish the rights that currently exist for the rest of us. I fail to see how the instituion of marraige is weakened if more people have the chance to participate.”
Foreshadowing what was about to happen he then stated, “I strongly believe there should be a vote on the matter in Parliament this year, and it should be a conscience vote”. “That would allow parliamentarians to have a mature debate in both the House of Reps and the Senate.”
This move is no doubt a little motivated by the fact it was only this morning that The Greens announced they would be bringing forward a Senate debate on the issue on June 18, to be followed with a vote on November 12.
In a press conference this morning, Greens MP Sarah Hanson-Young explained,”This gives members of all parties the opportunity to think about how they will vote on the issue and of course the impetus for Tony Abbott to have a free vote.”
New Greens leader Richard Di Natale even reached out to Shorten directly:
We need leadership in this area & I urge Bill Shorten to join us in bringing the community together, rather than dividing it.
— Richard Di Natale (@RichardDiNatale) May 26, 2015
Now — though they totally support the cause — they’re a tiny bit peeved:
Wonderful to see more MPs pushing for #marriage equality. We don't really need more bills in the parliament, but we do need more votes!
— sarah hanson-young (@sarahinthesen8) May 26, 2015
Another #MarriageEquality bill?? We shd be working together, not having duelling legislation. We need more votes from Labor, not more bills.
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) May 26, 2015
Momentum continues to grown with @billshortenmp being the first leader of a major party to introduce #MarriageEquaility legislation
— Alex Greenwich MP (@AlexGreenwich) May 26, 2015
It really feels like now Tony… this really feels like the moment. Get out of the way. #MarriageEquaility
— Kyran Wheatley (@kyranwheatley) May 26, 2015