You can read the plebiscite legislation here.
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Elsewhere in his speech, Mr Shorten denied that his party is trying to take “credit” for equal marriage by filing a backbench bill and blocking the plebiscite.
But, if that happens (and it definitely looks like the most likely outcome at the moment), what does that mean for marriage equality?
If the reports are true, and Shorten really is planning to block the plebiscite, then the Coalition will not have the crossbench votes necessary to pass the legislation. “If he was actually in charge of his party he would not be having this plebiscite”.
“Can the prime minister explain why Eddie should have to put up with a $7.5 million campaign, by people who have never met him, telling him that there is something wrong with his family?”
The vote was decided on by his conservative Liberal Party under previous leader Tony Abbott. The bill was introduced on the first anniversary of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s ascension to his position. We do not mind who gets the credit.
The government has set February 11 next year as the date for the plebiscite, pledging $15 million in taxpayers’ money to cover the yes and no cases.
The Coalition has to convince nine senators to support legislation in order for the plebiscite to go through.
“Malcolm Turnbull has forsaken the marriage equality movement and allowed for this plebiscite to be rigged, so that it will never see the light of day”.
In most jurisdictions, marriage equality has become legal due to decisions of parliament or the courts. Australian Marriage Equality director Tiernan Brady told CNN. All we need to do is update the Marriage Act – something that can only be done through the parliament. But plebiscites and referendums in the past have rarely led to change in the country.
He accused Mr Turnbull of deliberately sabotaging the process to make it hard for even the most ardent supporters of gay marriage to back it. Instead, they want parliament to deal with the issue with a free vote of all MPs.
The move has sparked fears among same-sex marriage supporters who believe it might open up a gateway of hate toward the LGBTI community, with the Opposition Leader also concerned a hate filled “no” campaign, could push young people to suicide.
Bill Shorten during Question Time this week. One was introduced by Bill Shorten and the other was introduced by the Greens and independents.
“The wording of the question is the idea of the right-wing of the Liberal Party, the public funding of the “no” campaign is the idea of the right wing of the Liberal Party”, he said.
‘Whether that debate is in the parliament or whether that debate is a debate that involves all members of the community in a plebiscite, this debate is happening now’. Without one, the issue is theoretically off the table for the next three years of the current parliament.
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“There will be a plebiscite on the 11th of February unless [opposition Labor leader] Bill Shorten decides to block it [in the Senate]”, he said, according to RTÉ.
