BARR: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much. What weve witnessed today is a moment in history for the Australian Labor Party. Its a change that the Australian Rainbow Labor Network, that thousands of Labor Party members, hundreds of thousands of Australians, millions of Australians, have been wanting our party to take this step today.
It is, I think a matter of intense personal belief from Senator Wong and I that this change has been able to be passed so strongly by the Labor conference today. But its not just our work, but the work of so many Labor Party members that Id like to acknowledge.
Im greatly honoured to have had the opportunity to move the motion on behalf of the Rainbow Labor Network and its a culmination of many, many years of struggle to achieve this.
Its significant for thousands of Australians, and to every mum and dad who has a gay and lesbian son, this is for you.
WONG: Thanks very much. As I said in the speech, this is a debate that weve been having inside the Labor Party for many years. And each time we have moved it a little further. But we did resolve this debate today and we made a very clear decision in our conference this democratic forum of the Labor Party that we would support equality without exception.
I do want to make some acknowledgements. First I want to thank the Prime Minister. I have not had a Labor leader who has been prepared and willing to allow the party to engage in the fullness of this debate. And as a member of her Cabinet, I appreciated the opportunity I was given to be able to participate fully in the debate, publicly and openly. Not an opportunity that Ive had previously. And for that I thank her.
I also want to thank the members of Rainbow Labor, - theyre going to give me a list shortly, I asked them too, and so Ill come back. Because there are some people that I really do want to place on the public record. Some of them you know, some of them you dont know yet. Some of them I hope well see in parliaments or in senior positions in the Labor Party in the years to come. And they have worked cross-factionally, extremely effectively and without them we would not have been able to achieve what has been achieved today.
Finally, I also thank a range of parliamentary colleagues, and I hope I dont forget them, but certainly Tanya and Albo, and Louise Pratt. We have been having this discussion for a long time internally and Tanya and I were joking wryly about some of the discussions we had in the early part of the 2000s well we finally got there and were very pleased. Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Senator Wong, is this a repudiation of the Prime Minister (inaudible) of marriage equality or what marriage should be, diminished her authority as Prime Minister?
WONG: Absolutely not, and as I said at the outset I think it says something about the measure of the woman that she is willing to allow this forum of a conference. Not a decision thats been taken very much in recent times, this forum of the conference to do what it wanted to do which is to have a full and frank debate. And as I said, I think all of us are very grateful for that fact and respect the decision thats been made.
JOURNALIST: What do you think the man in the street would think that their Prime Minister has been (inaudible).
WONG: I think the man and woman in the street might recall this is the Prime Minister who stands for getting more people into work, stands for a stronger economy, stands for ensuring we have more jobs, stands for investing more money into schools and universities than any other prime minister in previous history. That stands for 100,000 more Australians in universities than we previously had, that stands for rolling out the NBN, that stands for action on climate change and many other things.
JOURNALIST: How will a conscience vote effect now the real politics of getting the reform through?
WONG: Well the real politics now of getting the reform through are in Tony Abbotts court. We the Labor Party have made the clear decision today of what our party stands for and what our members of Parliament and senators will be able to do on the floor of the Federal Parliament. And its now a matter for Tony Abbott. Whether he will show his members the same respect that the parliamentary party today has been shown.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
WONG: Ive been involved in discussions here I think since 1998, that might not be right but I think thats right, and we have come far further in that time than I would have anticipated. So as Ive said and others have said, never doubt how persistent the campaign for equality is and the question will be now for those Liberal members of Parliament who believe they are actually Liberals, as to whether theyd take this up as well
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) personally you and your partner, your new baby daughter or son. And also we heard from Joe de Bruyn that this decision today could mean Labors chances of winning the next election today could be diminished, what do you say to that?
WONG: I dont agree with him, I think weve made our views on that clear. I think this is not just a decision that is about me personally. Its about many Australians, many members of the party who believe in equality.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) legalise same-sex marriage (inaudible) from todays decision?
BARR: The Prime Minister has made it clear that the Government will not sponsor a bill, it will be moved by a private member. Of course, Im not a member of the federal parliamentary caucus but Im sure there will be many volunteers to bring such legislation before the Parliament. This campaign is one thats had origins going back a long time and it will continue. We will continue our passionate fight for equality. It will be a Labor MP who moves that private members bill. But as Ive said there have been so many people that have been involved in this campaign and Im delighted to acknowledge the co-convenors of the Australian Rainbow Labor Network Sean Leader and Neil Pharoah [further acknowledgements]
Thank you also to Penny Sharpe and my co-spokesperson, someone Id like to acknowledge has been a massive support for me through this process, Senator Louise Pratt. Thank you Louise. Amanda Lampe is someone Id like to single out for special thanks as well, she has been a constant adviser to me through this process and Amandas strategic counsel is one of the reasons why so many right-wing delegates supported this resolution this morning.
WONG: And Kate Deverall. Anything further?
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
WONG: Im a member of the Cabinet, obviously we accept what the Prime Minister has said. That action on this is not going to be taken by the Government, itll be taken by a private members bill but obviously thats a matter for others as Im a member of the Cabinet. Misha, did you get your question before?
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
WONG: I respect their views, I disagree with them.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
WONG: I have been in a number of votes at Labor Party conferences, you rarely get every single delegate voting. I havent looked at all of the numbers to be honest with you, but its not an unusual thing Matthew for not every single delegate to vote.
JOURNALIST: But were there any (inaudible) in the Left faction (inaudible)
WONG: Not that Im aware of. The Left had its position, the Right had its position and there are obviously non-aligned delegates as well.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible)
WONG: Im a Labor person and I believe you reform from government. Thats my view and Ive answered the question in relation to a private members bill. Anything further? Thanks very much.
ENDS