In yet another edition of the shittiest version of ‘Groundhog Day‘ possible for Australia’s LBGTQI community, today’s emergency Liberal party room meeting to decide an outcome on same sex marriage ended with…confusion and even more delays. Malcolm Turnbull’s government decided to stick with its policy position of a national plebiscite on the issue, which has already failed to pass the Senate once. The result of today’s meeting is that they are once again going to try to get that same (failed) plebiscite through the Senate, where it will most likely fail. Again.
After it is dead in the water for a second time, Turnbull might then turn to a voluntary postal plebiscite, an idea that has attracted a lot of criticism because a) it is a dumb idea b) it is voluntary c) it is a dumb idea and d) it will favour the ‘no’ vote because young people don’t use the postal system. Marriage equality groups have also already vowed to block the postal plebiscite via the High Court should it be proposed. Even if the postal plebiscite went ahead and a ‘yes’ vote was returned, the result is completely non-binding, and in fact only means that the LNP will then allow a free vote on a same-sex marriage bill.
If this all seems convoluted and unnecessary, it’s because it is, and people are not happy about it. A lot of this anger is being directed towards one man, Malcolm Turnbull, who is setting a pattern of giving in to the conservative arm of the party instead of standing up and doing the right thing for LGBTQI Australians and simply calling for a free vote. Among the first to give him a serve was Senator Penny Wong:
Tonight, Malcolm Turnbull broke the nation’s heart #MarriageEquality
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) August 7, 2017
And like angry, disillusioned, exhausted, broken-hearted people, nobody held back when telling the PM exactly what they thought of the day’s outcome.
Malcolm Turnbull, the gutless wonder, strikes again. History will remember these moments. #MarriageEquality
— harvsk (@HarvsK) August 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/rhysnicholson/status/894500988438151172
What an appalling hash you’ve made of it all @TurnbullMalcolm. Your Prime Ministership will be remembered as one of the worst in history.
— Jess McGuire (@jessmcguire) August 7, 2017
.@TurnbullMalcolm was this all for show? For approval? Do you care about the LGBT youth? What are you doing to protect them? We want answers pic.twitter.com/4QIdVCdjV6
— Danny Clayton 💎 (@DannyjClayton) August 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/LeithMarshall/status/894499257427795968
@TurnbullMalcolm I once voted for you. When I lived in Potts Point. Thinking you were the voice of reason. I am ashamed of that vote. Coward
— Kyran 🌈 (@kyranwheatley) August 7, 2017
I’m so angry at 5am here you failed @TurnbullMalcolm you failed @LiberalAus you are more awful and lazy and pathetic and spineless than ever
— nic kelly (@nicwkelly) August 7, 2017
It’s pretty clear how Turnbull will go down in history if he keeps this up.
