Secret plan revealed for marriage equality - amongst Lieberals

Gay WA Lieberal MP Dean Smith

*Update: "Let's see the devil in the detail" - The Stirrer

Well this is going to get the far wing wingnut's feathers flying in an almighty hissy fit.

An openly gay Lieberal MP from Western Australia has revealed a secret plan for marriage equality in this term of gov. He has been drafting, on the sly, a private members bill to legalise marriage equality in Australia . He plans to take the bill to the party room soon to push for a parliamentary conscience vote on the issue.

Personally I'd be extremely surprised if the likes of Tony Abbott and Dutton were rolled on the issue, although with such disaffection amongst the Lieberals towards out of control wrecker Abbott lately you never know.

WA Liberal Senator Dean Smith has for the first time revealed he is secretly drafting a private members’ bill to legalise same sex marriage in Australia, declaring “the time is now” to resolve an issue which he says has become an “embarrassment” for the nation.

 The bombshell confirms weeks of speculation in Canberra that there were new attempts within the federal Liberal Party to bring about a conscience vote on same-sex marriage in the parliament, despite Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s insistence it would be determined by a plebiscite.

 Senator Smith, an openly gay politician, said the bill was well advanced and he intended taking it to the party room for discussion in the near future, after which he hoped a parliamentary vote would be taken before the end of this year.

 He said the bill would allow exemptions for religious and other celebrants who did not want to allow two people of the same sex to marry.

 “The bill is important because it will allow the Liberal Party to revisit the issue of marriage once and for all before the next election,” Senator Smith told The Sunday Times.

 “I don’t doubt the complexity same-sex-marriage presents for some Liberals, but I am not asking people to change their mind on the issue.

 “Instead, we should allow everyone the right to vote according to their own conscience. The coalition’s position is clear – a plebiscite – so people should not underestimate the challenge of securing a free vote on the issue. Perth Now

The only thing "complex" about marriage equality is the knot the Lieberals have tied themselves up in over it. 

Of course the whole push from within may well fail with the consequence of the Lieberal party self immolating again over it, and providing yet another display to Australians of their sheer incompetence on such a simple issue. 

Will the bigoted homophobes yet again torpedo the push, or will sense prevail? Once again the ball is firmly in their court....