Advocates for gay marriage have criticised Coalition frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull for suggesting civil unions should be accepted as a first step towards full marriage rights.
In a speech given last night, Mr Turnbull suggested the campaign for change should shift to civil unions for gay couples – which he believed would be supported by Parliament – as a first step towards equal marriage rights.
“We should not miss the opportunity to legislate for civil unions for same sex couples in this parliament,” Mr Turnbull said in a speech made at Southern Cross University on the Gold Coast.
“I recognise that will be seen by many as not good enough. But it is better than nothing and as I said in the House last week on another issue, it is a great mistake to allow your conception of the perfect to be the enemy of the good.”
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For a full copy of Malcolm Turnbull’s speech