Gay marriage vote an Abbott triumph
Andrew Bolt
AUGUST122015(12:36am)
"A
huge victory for the Prime Minister on many levels:
THE Abbott Government will not grant its MPs a free vote on same-sex marriage — killing off any chance of the law being passed in the life of this Parliament.
A referendum on the issue is now a possibility after the next election, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who had ruled the proposal out three months ago, telling the party room the proposal was “extraordinarily attractive.’’
At the end of a marathon, 5 1/2 hour meeting, Mr Abbott said the party had overwhelmingly voted to maintain its current position — a binding vote opposed to same-sex marriage…
“At this moment in particular, the last thing you should do is dud the people who voted for you and there was a strong view in the party room today,” Mr Abbott said.
“If we were to drop the policy, even if we were to adjust the policy to the extent of having a free vote, a lot of people who voted for us were going to feel dudded."…
“Whether or not you support same-sex marriage, whether or not you support the concept of marriage which has been around since time immemorial ... this is quite properly something that may well be decided by the Australian people, something that should be a matter for all of us rather than a matter simply for some of us,” he said.
About 70 MPs spoke against a free vote, including frontbenchers Eric Abetz, Kevin Andrews, Peter Dutton, Bruce Billson, Warren Truss and Barnaby Joyce.
There were 32 who spoke in support, including Malcolm Turnbull, Christopher Pyne, Greg Hunt, Michael Keenan, Josh Frydenberg, Simon Birmingham, Kelly O’Dwyer, Scott Ryan, Darren Chester and Marise Payne.
Why the vote was a triumph for Abbott (as well as good for the Liberals):
- it shows Abbott read the mood of the Coalition better than his chief rivals, and, indeed, many journalists.
- the vote was overwhelming, which should put the issue to bed until the election, giving the Coalition clear air at last.
- the idea of a referendum or plebiscite on gay marriage after the election shows the Coalition is not resisting the public will but giving the public true ownership of the issue, and the means to decisively resolve it.
- Abbott was consultative throughout.
- Abbott kept faith with voters and especially most Liberal supporters.
- Shorten will seem to not trust the public will by preferring a vote instead by the political class.
- Turnbull was against the majority of his colleagues in yet another social issue.
Another winner is Scott Morrison, now Abbott’s natural and patient heir. Morrison on my show was the first minister I can recall who supported a plebiscite on this issue.
But to repeat: a massive win by Abbottt on an issue they in the hands of an alternative leader could have torn the party apart. "
JX
