Conscience Vote

Marriage equality is too serious an issue to play political games with and too important an issue to be set up to fail. This is why supporters of the reform want calm heads to prevail and for the bill to be introduced at the right time.

It’s important the Labor Party approaches this reform strategically and doesn’t jump the gun. Too many people within Labor have worked too hard to change the ALP’s policy platform for it all to be squandered on a premature vote.

Because the ALP has allowed a conscience vote for its MPs, reform has very little chance unless the Coalition allows a conscience vote too. Coalition leader Tony Abbott has so far ruled out a conscience vote, but there is growing support within the Coalition for a different, fairer approach.

Continue reading "Give the Coalition time and they’ll vote for gay marriage" »

Prime Minister Gillard’s reshuffle tops off her year of living dangerously.

She went out on a limb with carbon pricing, pokie reform, plain tobacco packaging and increased superannuation in spite of spirited opposition and has won the battle, if not hearts and minds, on most of them.

Poker machine reform is outstanding and continues to bite the ALP hard, especially in the eastern states and in communities dependent on local pubs and clubs. Ms Gillard’s decision to sacrifice the Speaker role is her way of gearing up for the pokies fight by mitigating the influence of Andrew Wilkie.

Continue reading "Gillard reshuffles the deck chairs without conscience" »

The intense gay lobby is still furious that Labor has declared a conscience vote on same-sex marriage, and Tony Abbott probably is just as angry. But from that point, the two camps divide.

The Opposition is under no obligation - moral or political - to allow its MPs a conscience vote on same-sex marriage just because Labor needed to approve one to rescue Julia Gillard’s authority.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott would be perfectly entitled, should his shadow cabinet back him, to tell his troops the Coalition would have a fixed position which all would be asked to support. And it is likely that position would be one of total rejection.

Continue reading "Abbott can’t give a straight answer on gay marriage" »