Last night the Senate voted down Malcolm Turnbull’s $200 million wasteful, hurtful, divisive plebiscite on marriage equality.

When it came down to it, Malcolm Turnbull was too weak to kill off this terrible policy when he inherited it from former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Labor makes no apologies for helping to block the plebiscite. The LGBTI community didn’t want it, and the Australian community didn’t either.

It was a waste of valuable taxpayer funds, and it was never about the achievement of marriage equality.

It was Tony Abbott’s policy – adopted by Malcolm Turnbull - that was designing to kill marriage equality.

Predictably, the government is now trying to argue that marriage equality is off the agenda for this term of Parliament. They are dreaming.

The prospect of a hateful, divisive plebiscite has mobilised the LGBTI community, and all supporters of equality. They are not going away. Labor will continue to campaign for a free parliamentary vote.

We can have marriage equality right now, if only Mr Turnbull was strong enough to stand up for the principles he supposedly believes in.

The only thing standing in the way of marriage equality is Malcolm Turnbull and the right-wing extremists in his party who are pulling his strings.

Labor will not give up the fight to achieve marriage equality in Australia.

TUESDAY, 8 NOVEMBER 2016