Wilkie hits Abbott bid

DENISON MP Andrew Wilkie will not support amendments to same-sex marriage legislation, including ones proposed by former prime minister Tony Abbott.

Mr Abbott flagged a motion which would recognise “that it is vital that individuals and entities are not disadvantaged nor suffer any adverse effects as a result of conscientiously holding a particular view of the nature of marriage”.

Mr Wilkie is one of five backbenchers with a crossbench vote as the Coalition Government has 73 members compared with Labor’s 69.

“I won’t support any of the proposed amendments to the same-sex marriage Bill because the current protections in the Bill are appropriate and sufficient ... this will just delay samesex marriage even further,” he said.

Marriage equality campaigner Rodney Croome said Mr Abbott’s motion would legitimise and encourage discrimination.

“It could be used in court to knock out cases taken by same-sex and other couples who have experienced discrimination,” he said.

“It could also be used by religious bodies to apply for special exemptions under antidiscrimination legislation .”

On a day when Liberal MP Tim Wilson proposed to his male partner, Mr Abbott said he was looking to the same-sex marriage of his sister Christine Forster.

But he said he wanted to protect freedom of speech, freedom of religion and parental rights.

Labor has indicated that its members will be bound to vote against the amendments.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the question of protections should be considered separately.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he did not believe the Bill threatened “our cherished religious freedoms”. Discrimination not in manual:

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