Imagine if a Labor backbencher joined with a Liberal in federal parliament to introduce a private member’s bill that was contrary to ALP policy. The outcry from Labor ranks would be huge, the intervention of the prime minister would be swift and the media would leap at the opportunity to claim Julia Gillard’s authority was in tatters.
However, that’s exactly what’s happening. Chief government Whip Joel Fitzgibbon has announced his intention to join with Liberal Warren Entsch and bring on a federal bill for same-sex civil unions. Yet Commonwealth civil unions don’t have gay community support, are opposed by key lobby group Australian Marriage Equality, have been denounced by Labor branches as second rate and is not Labor policy. Same-sex marriage is the federal policy.
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