LEGALISING marriage for same-sex couples remains a distant prospect after the Coalition party room voted on Tuesday to continue the policy of opposition towards amendment of the Marriage Act, a decision strongly supported by local MP Andrew Broad.
A meeting of the Liberal and National parties ran for almost six hours on Tuesday night and on Wednesday Mr Broad released a written statement outlining his support for the decision.
The Guardian has reported previously on the Member for Mallee’s anti-gay-marriage stance, although in recent times he conceded that the issue has more support in his electorate than he had previously thought.
In his statement Mr Broad referred to the “strongly held views for both sides of the debate” in the Mallee and said Australians should feel proud of Tuesday’s discussion, which prompted debate around equality, the role of law, pre-election commitments and the protection of religious freedoms.
But questions have been raised around why Mr Abbott chose to give National Party members a say in the argument, with Education Minister Christopher Pyne reportedly likening it to “branch stacking”, given that the majority of National Party members are against amending the marriage act.
Mr Broad retaliated to the remark yesterday, saying in an online Fairfax video that Australia was run by the Coalition, not just the Liberal Party.
“I might just remind Christopher Pyne he is an Education Minister not a shadow Education Minister because the Nationals formed coalition with the Liberal Party,” Mr Broad said.
For more on this story pick up today’s Guardian (Friday, August 14).
