Peter Dutton reportedly pushing for ‘inevitable’ marriage equality
Image: Peter Dutton. Image: Facebook.
AFTER聽slamming Alan Joyce last week over lobbying for marriage equality, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has reportedly been working towards legalising equal marriage in this parliamentary term.
After聽last year鈥檚 defeat of the same-sex marriage plebiscite, Dutton told his colleagues that the issue would be an ongoing distraction until dealt with. He said marriage equality was inevitable for Australia and that it would be better for the Coalition rather than Labor to control it, ensuring maximum legal protections for religious freedom.
The conservative MP鈥檚 attack last week on corporate executives supporting equal marriage was聽met by suspicion from colleagues, who believed he was committed to progress on the matter.
Dutton has stated he is personally opposed to same-sex marriage, but along with other Liberals he has been looking for ways to resolve the issue. Some conservatives recognise that passing marriage equality would improve the government鈥檚 standing with voters.
Along with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, Dutton is reportedly now to be held before a parliamentary vote on marriage equality. While a postal vote would be cheaper and easier to establish than a regular poll, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is understood to be wary of the idea.
Chair of Australian Marriage Equality Alex Greenwich said a postal vote plebiscite would be a 鈥減retty sneaky and underhanded way鈥� to handle marriage equality, and a 鈥渄esperate ploy鈥�.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said business leaders 鈥渁bsolutely should鈥� speak out about marriage equality.
鈥淧olls show that鈥檚 also what the majority of the Australian community believes鈥攑eople who are our shareholders, customers and employees,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e comfortable with our position and on speaking out about it.鈥�
