PAULINE Hanson has warned a future Australian parliament could make polygamy legal if federal politicians aren’t careful about the wording of a current bill to legalise same-sex marriage.
The One Nation leader also outlined why she voted no in the postal survey in her speech to Parliament on the gay marriage bill late last night.
Meanwhile, conservative MPs have abandoned an attempt to allow bakers, florists and other businesses to reject the business of same-sex couples.
“My concern about this is that, if we pass it in this parliament of 226 people, who’s to say that further on down the track a parliament could not expand it to mean multiple marriages or who knows what,” Senator Hanson told the senate late last night.
“I believe that what should be enshrined in the Constitution is what it has been determined the people want, whether it is marriage between people of the same sex or of the opposite sex.
“It could then only be changed by being taken back to the people.”
Senator Hanson said she was of “mixed opinion” on how to proceed with the same-sex marriage legislation but confirmed she voted no.
“I have grown up of the opinion that marriage was between a man and a woman, but I do not take away the right of people to be in a relationship and to find happiness within themselves.”
Senator Hanson will continue her speech this morning as the senate progresses its bid to pass the bill to change the Marriage Act this week.
Fifty-one senators have now spoken on the bill, with three more to go today before the upper house can begin to deal with amendments.
Senators will be forced to stay back late on Thursday or return on Friday if the legislation is not passed by Thursday afternoon.
Conservative senators are pushing for a handful of key amendments to same-sex marriage laws, aimed at boosting protections for parents, civil celebrants and faith-based charities.
Liberal Senator James Paterson has abandoned his attempts to allow businesses to reject the business of same-sex couples.
But Senator Paterson and Liberal colleague David Fawcett have authored amendments which would include two definitions for marriage.
Marriages between men and women would be recognised separately to marriages between two people.
Senator Paterson said his proposal “achieves the best of both worlds” and there would be no legal difference in how married couples were treated.
“It does allow same sex couples to marry but it doesn’t unnecessarily abolish the old definition of marriage, which many Australians still sincerely believe in,” he told ABC radio on Monday evening.
Parents would also be able to pull their children from classes if they don’t agree with their teachings on marriage.
Senator Paterson rejected suggestions from Education Minister Simon Birmingham that such attempts could be unconstitutional, saying: “The advice that I have is that it’s not.”
People who hold traditional views of marriage would be shielded from “adverse action” taken against them by governments or agencies, and civil celebrants would be able to refuse to marry same-sex couples.
Attorney-General George Brandis and crossbencher David Lleyenholm have suggested similar exemptions, which would already apply to religious ministers and celebrants under the cross-party bill.
Labor senator Helen Polley, who opposes same-sex marriage, last night spoke of the need for to protect parental rights and religious freedoms.
“If someone wishes to publicly or privately object to a change in secular marriage, they should not be persecuted,” Senator Polley said.
But her Tasmanian Labor colleague Carol Brown came out swinging against the proposed changes.
“The religious freedom arguments and proposed amendments are nothing more than last ditch attempts to delay what people now need to accept is inevitable and the will of the Australian people,” Senator Brown said.
NSW Labor Senator Doug Cameron was even more blunt in his assessment.
“I don’t want religion stuffed down my throat by anyone. It’s unacceptable to me and it should be unacceptable to this parliament,” he said.
Greens senator Nick McKim told the Senate if amendments were added to the marriage equality bill which increased discrimination, he would vote it down.
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