WATCH: Bill Shorten Announces Legalising Same-Sex Marriage Will Be His First Bill
Edging closer to the election, Bill Shorten has promised that legalising same-sex marriage would be his government’s number one priority in Parliament, stating a bill to amend the Marriage Act will be his first piece of legislation passed.
Mr Shorten said: “The first piece of legislation I introduce into the 45th Parliament will be a bill to amend the marriage act, a simple change. The words “a man and a woman” are replaced with “two people”, no $160 million plebiscite, no hurtful, hateful government-sponsored advertising campaign for us,” he said.
He is referring to the proposed plebiscite the Liberal government plans on executing, which is controversially non-binding and may not actually lead to any real change in legislature, despite its cost to tax payers.
Watch the announcement below via Sky News:
.@billshortenmp says the first thing he will do as PM is introduce a bill legalising same-sex marriage #ausvotes https://t.co/R0Oam6L5iG
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) June 28, 2016