Exclusive: MPs hatch plot to make gay marriage legal within a month
Four Coalition MP's are planning to ambush their own government in a bid to legalise gay marriage within one month.
As 7 News exclusively revealed, the rebel gang plan to vote with Labor and the Greens in a move that would kill off the Government's current policy for a plebiscite.
Liberal MP Warren Entsch openly ridiculed his own government’s policy for a plebiscite, telling 7 News that “the only real option is a free vote in the Parliament”.
"Any sort of referendum or plebiscite will never, ever see the light of day,” he said.
The MPs have devised a two-stage plan to legalise same sex marriage within a month.
They'll move when Parliament resumes next week to force a party room debate on a new private members bill to be circulated this week.
Should that fail, plan B is even more aggressive.
Warren Entsch, Trevor Evans, Tim Wilson and Trent Zimmerman would be asked to cross the floor to join Labor and four crossbenchers to make up the 76 votes needed to suspend standing orders and force a parliamentary debate and conscience vote on the new bill.
"The right of a conscience vote is the right of every single Federal Liberal parliamentarian,” Liberal MP Tim Wilson added.
Seven News understands Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been informed of the plan but as leader, he remains compelled to support the plebiscite.
"In our party, backbenchers have always had the right to cross the floor,” Prime Minister Turnbull told 7 News.
However, the stakes are high for the besieged Prime Minister, with at least one conservative Government MP warning he and others will walk to the crossbench even if that brings down the government.
Another conservative, Craig Kelly, warned the government would be punished if it did abandon the plebiscite.
"We've seen what happens to your electoral vote if you break your electoral commitment,” Mr Kelly said.
But other conservatives agree with Warren Ensch the issue needs to be dealt with once and for all.
"It's one of those issues that every time it's raised, it sucks the oxygen out of everything else,” Mr Entsch added.
And as Malcolm Turnbull tries to win back the west, transporting his cabinet to Perth for a week, he knows his government needs all the oxygen it can get.
