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The newly appointed Australian Prime Minister will continue the Coalition’s policy of delaying a vote on marriage equality.
Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed he will be following former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s lead and will not allow a free vote on marriage equality in the federal parliament.
The decision instead will be made by the Australian public at a nationwide plebiscite, held after next year’s election, Malcolm Turnbull confirmed during question time after Labor’s deputy leader, Tanya Plibersek, tried to pressure Turnbull to repeat his recently stated support for Coalition MPs to be granted a free vote in the parliament on marriage equality legislation.
Turnbull however fell in behind Abbott’s policy of a “people’s vote” some time in the next parliamentary term, as part of his agreement with the Nationals, despite his earlier suggestions that such a vote should be held sooner rather than later in the federal parliament.
“Historically issues of this type have been resolved in parliament by free vote and the honourable member is correct in referring to that,” Turnbull said.
“Another way of dealing with this is by vote of the people. And the Coalition, our government, has decided that the resolution of this matter will be determined by a vote of the people, all the people, via a plebiscite, to be held after the next election.”
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Article | Levi Joule.
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