MP who backed conscience vote cops online abuse


A NSW Liberal MP has called on Tony Abbott to grant a conscience vote on same-sex marriage, saying the decision not to was allowing homophobia and hatred to build within the party.

Catherine Cusack was one of six Coalition members who supported a motion in the NSW upper house last week calling on the federal government to support same-sex marriage, which passed with support from the Greens and most Labor MLCs.

Following the vote, Ms Cusack received a number of angry emails and was subject to taunts on her Facebook page, with some comments coming from people stating they were members of her own party. She was accused of being a traitor and levelled with insults such as ''Shame on you. You are a stupid fat cow,'' and ''you are a sinner'' and a ''disgrace to our nation''. One commenter also referred to a gay MP as a ''poofter''.

Ms Cusack said that while her parliamentary colleagues had been very respectful of differences of opinion, she was shocked and disappointed by the ''homophobia from Liberal party members''.

Ms Cusack said she knew Tony Abbott was not homophobic and urged him to show leadership by allowing federal Coalition MPs a conscience vote when three bills supporting same-sex marriage come before the Parliament later this year.

''I think a conscience vote is inevitable and delaying it is, from what I've now seen, creating a climate in which hatred is building,'' she said.

''Tony is the only person in Australia who can take charge of these errant Liberals. Their appalling views make it essential federal MPs are given a chance to dissociate themselves and our great Liberal Party from bile and vitriol that is is the antithesis of liberalism, totally unacceptable and strikingly unAustralian.''

Liberal MLC Scot MacDonald, who also supported the motion, joined her in that call, and said he hoped the result in NSW made the federal party rethink the issue: ''I don't think it should be anything but a conscience vote.''

While he had had some negative feedback from party members, all his fellow MPs had been respectful throughout the debate.

''The party dealt with it very maturely,'' he said.

Mr Abbott did not comment yesterday but his office pointed to recent statements where he had said his stated position before the 2010 election was that marriage should be between a man and woman and that ''we'll be sticking to our commitments''.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/mp-who-backed-conscience-vote-cops-...

One commenter also referred to a gay MP as a ''poofter''.

OMG surely not.

I'm thinking it would've been worse to refer to him as straight.

Unfortunately not.


I only 1/2 scare Tony.