Same-sex marriage centre stage as MPs return to Canberra

MALCOLM Turnbull has vowed to push ahead with a public vote on same-sex marriage despite Labor indicating it will block legislation and stop the plebiscite.

As MPs and senators return to Canberra today, Labor has strengthened its attack against the national vote, which the Government hopes to hold early next year, declaring it a “second-best option”.

Yesterday, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten indicated his party could block enabling legislation which would allow the non-binding public vote to go ahead.

“We want to have marriage equality and we want to do it as quickly as possible,’ Mr Shorten said. “A vote in the parlia- ment is the quickest, cheapest, least divisive mechanism.”

He also warned the cost of the vote could be up to $250 million and would still require MPs and senators to vote on the reform after Australians had their say.

The Prime Minister hit back, saying any move to block the plebiscite would delay the reform.

Mr Turnbull said Labor’s suggestion the plebiscite might fail was an “anti-democratic argument” and he was in “no doubt the plebiscite will be carried”.

He is facing pressure from conservatives MPs within the Coalition who oppose samesex marriage but support the national vote.

Conservative Victorian MP Michael Sukkar and West Australian Andrew Hastie accused Labor of “hypocrisy”, saying if Mr Shorten opposed the plebiscite, it was proof he did not tolerate the view of those who wanted to retain the current definition of marriage.

The same-sex marriage debate is threatening to overshadow the first week of Parliament with Labor hopeful it can test the Coalition’s slim majority and convince Government MPs to cross the floor and support a Parliamentary vote.

But Mr Turnbull said the Government would push ahead with “critically important bills” it promised.

He said the two industrial relations bills that triggered the double dissolution election, budget savings measures and laws protecting volunteers after the CFA dispute would all be on the agenda.