17c起草社区

PROMINENT backbench federal聽MP Warren Entsch has warned against slow progress on a marriage equality plebiscite and has said if Greece could聽organise a referendum on a multi-billion dollar bailout within 10 days, Australia should be able to organise a 鈥減eople鈥檚 vote鈥� on marriage equality before 2018.

Entsch, who , also told the 17c起草社区聽that in Tony Abbott鈥檚 household the Prime Minister was likely the odd one out on the issue with 鈥減robably his bloody dog鈥� now supporting marriage equality.

[showads聽ad=MREC]The聽Leichhardt federal Liberal-National MP spoke last night at a Liberal fundraiser in Sydney that also saw speeches by City of Sydney councillor Christine Forster and Lucy Turnbull, former Sydney Lord Mayor and wife of Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Entsch鈥檚 bill, which is backed by a number of Liberal, Labor, Greens and independent MPs, is unlikely to make it to a ballot following the .

Instead, Abbott has said a 鈥減eople鈥檚 vote鈥� on marriage equality, now considered more likely to be in the form of a plebiscite rather than a binding referendum, will be held if the Coalition retains power after the next federal election 鈥� possibly pushing a vote out until 2018 or later.

Entsch, whose electorate is based in far north Queensland, said a plebiscite should happen sooner.

鈥淚f the Greeks can organise something in two weeks I can鈥檛 see any reason why we can鈥檛 do something, maybe a little bit longer, but鈥� sooner rather than the later because the Australian people are ready for this,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he longer you let this go on, the more you going to get the extremes of both sides turning it into something that鈥檚 just unpleasant.鈥�

While Entsch didn鈥檛 specify a date, Australian Marriage Equality deputy director Ivan Hinton-Teoh told the 17c起草社区 last month .

The former crocodile farmer, , said he was unimpressed by arguments that politicians should be focused more on economic matters.

鈥淚t mightn鈥檛 be an important issue for some but it鈥檚 a critically important issue for many,” Entsch said.

鈥淚f my son, or my daughter, or my family member wanted to marry somebody that was the love of their life, to me that would be a bloody important issue and I would fight for their right to be able to declare their love and protect their family.鈥�

He also聽told the 17c起草社区 that聽while the PM聽was entitled to his opinion he was increasingly in the minority, even within the Abbott family.

鈥淚 know in his own household his wife and children and his sister, probably his bloody dog, all support the change,” Entsch said.

鈥淗e鈥檚 the last man standing, we鈥檝e had this discussion and he agrees with me.鈥�

Commenting on LGBTI parenting documentary Gayby Baby, Entsch said he had seen the film 鈥渁nd it moved me to tears鈥�.

Last week, an edict from the NSW Government restricting when and where the film could be show in state schools .

鈥淧eople that are making decisions should see it,鈥� said Entsch.

鈥淏ut if they say no [to showing the film in schools], fair enough, but make sure they are consistent and pro-heterosexual parenting films should also be prohibited.鈥�

Entsch also publicly invited himself to the wedding of Forster and her partner Virginia Edwards.

Forster, who has said the couple would prefer to marry under Australian law, commented they were happy for Entsch to come along but the first dance was theirs alone.

If Entsch does attend the nuptials he can compare notes on how the pro- and anti-marriage equality campaigns fared with Forster鈥檚 brother and fellow guest, the Prime Minister.