Warren Entsch: Bill Shorten knows his gay marriage bill will fail today
BILL Shorten conceded to Liberal MP and gay marriage champion Warren Entsch that his bill on same-sex marriage would fail in the parliament and was being put forward for political reasons.
The Opposition Leader telephoned the north Queensland MP yesterday and said that he knew his private member’s bill on legalising same-sex marriage would fail.
Mr Shorten had a 15-minute conversation with the Liberal National Party MP and agreed to discuss the matter and the possibility of a cross-party bill after his bill failed in the parliament today.
“He said he understood the need for bipartisan support on this issue and that he didn’t think his bill would pass the parliament,” Mr Entsch told News Corp Australia this morning.
“He said he would talk to me after the bill went to the parliament today and we could discuss a cross party bill.
“This issue should not be owned by Bill Shorten or the Liberal party. This should be owned by the parliament. This bill (Mr Shorten’s) is all about politics.”
Mr Shorten’s bill is due to go before the House of Representatives about 11.10am.
Mr Entsch said Mr Shorten initially left him a voicemail yesterday and he called the Opposition Leader back.
He said Mr Shorten was playing “silly games” and was pre-empting his own Labor party national conference on the issue.
“This is just creating mischief,” Mr Entsch said.
etc. http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/ga...-will-fail-today/story-fnizhakg-1227377568095
