Pro-marriage equality Lieberals considering crossing the floor forcing parliament to vote

Gay Lieberal shit stirrer MP Trevor Evans

Could this be the final nail in the coffin of the bitter middle aged white men in Canberra against marriage equality?

It seems there's rebellion in the ranks. Moderate Lieberals are in mutiny against a plebiscite, hallowed doctrine of the party religiously parroted for ages now. Yes folks, Lieberals are now openly challenging the far right blinkered view of a plebiscite or nothing.

Queensland’s first openly gay MP, Liberal Trevor Evans, has called for the dumping of the Turnbull government’s election commitment to hold a plebiscite on same-sex marriage and for it to immediately resolve the issue in a parliamentary vote.

 Just a week before federal parliament­ resumes after the extended­ winter break, Mr Evans confirmed yesterday there were several options being planned within Liberal ranks to bring on a vote, possibly within weeks.

 The first-term MP, who holds the marginal seat of Brisbane, would also not rule out crossing the floor and supporting a Labor motion to suspend standing orders­ before introducing a bill to change the Marriage Act.

 In his first public comments after Labor scuttled the proposed plebiscite in the Senate this year, Mr Evans said a resolution was needed, adding that the Turnbull government’s achievements in cutting red tape, delivering tax cuts for small business and taking on militant unions were not being recognised because of the focus on the same-sex marriage debate.

 “There is a still a number of ways to achieve reform,’’ he told The Australian. “But I think the quickest and most likely course now is to allow politicians to have a free vote … and I support that.

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But moderate Liberals are against the proposal for a plebis­cite and Labor is demanding a parliamentary vote. Mr Evans is among Liberals, including gay-rights advocate Warren Entsch and gay MPs Trent Zimmerman and Tim Wilson, rumoured to be willing to give Labor the three Coal­ition votes needed to suspend standing orders and bring the issue to a head. Labor may then bring on a priv­ate member’s bill being proposed by West Australian Liberal senator Dean Smith to legalise same-sex marriage.

 Mr Evans would not say whether he was willing to cross the floor but hinted that among the options was a push for the government itself to force a parliam­entary vote. The Australian