Abbott admits to gay marriage "captains call"

Another captain's call from Abbott. Ignoring his own party's views and using trickery and political maneuvering to get his way. He went to extraordinary lengths to do this, even ambushing his own party by calling in the National party bigots to be included in the vote.

From the National party of 21 MP's, only 3 voted in favour of a conscience vote. That's an 86% vote against the LGBT from the Nationals, when over 70% of the community wants us to get married. That is an appalling statistic from people who claim to represent us. Absolutely no idea what community sentiment is. 

It was a captains call alright, no two ways about it. After all the failure captain calls he's made, after his party wanting him to stop doing it and consult with the party members, he does another captains call. Now he admits it.

“I am the leader, I had to make a call and I think this is the best call,” Mr Abbott told ABC Radio on Wednesday morning. 

“There is the prospect of change in the next parliament if that is the will of the Australian people”, referring to his proposal for a national non-binding vote. 

“Every time a party leader has to handle a difficult issue some people say well, it should have been done this way, it should have been done that way.” 

However, commentators and Mr Abbott’s Opposition rivals criticised the leadership he has shown over the issue. 

“Abbott’s own position has been weakened further in his caucus with MPs furious at his ‘tricky’ use of a third party to carry his will,” Fairfax Media politics editor Mark Kenny wrote. 

Deputy Leader of the Opposition Tanya Plibersek said Mr Abbott’s wish to have a national vote on the matter was a waste of taxpayers money. 

“We make important decisions in this Parliament everyday,” she said. “The idea that this parliament can’t be trusted to make a decision on marriage equality is laughable.” 

“If this was voted on in the Parliament with a free vote on both sides, this change would pass.” more