Joyce warns of gay marriage 'decadence'

Government frontbencher Barnaby Joyce says it mightn't go down well with Asia if Australia was to adopt same-sex marriage.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce reacts during House of Representatives Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra, Thursday, June 18, 2015. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) NO ARCHIVING

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) Source: AAP

Asia would view Australia as "decadent" if the country were to embrace same-sex marriage, government minister Barnaby Joyce says.

The frontbencher, who opposes changing the Marriage Act, was responding to claims made by his senate colleague Eric Abetz that no Asian country has gone down the path of redefining marriage.
Mr Joyce told ABC TV on Sunday there are judgments made in Asia about Australia "whether we like it or not".

Mr Joyce said he supports traditional marriage, which gives children a mother and a father and has been trialled by thousands of years.

"In life everybody doesn't get everything they want, sometimes it's a tough game," he said.

The agriculture minister warned legalising same-sex marriage could create problems.

"I don't think that if you go and pass a piece of legislation that says a diamond is a square makes diamonds squares, they're two different things."

Cabinet minister Scott Morrison was "sympathetic" with having a plebiscite on the issue of same-sex marriage. 

Despite wanting the current definition of marriage to remain, Mr  Morrison is open to the debate being explored by the community  rather than "warring politics or warring clerics". 

"I don't flip-flop on these things as I notice some have," he told Network Ten on Sunday.

His comments follow those by Senator Eric Abetz, who on Friday defended penning a sternly-worded rebuke to Hobart City Council for expressing support for same sex marriage.

In the letter, dated June 17, the Tasmanian senator said the council's resolution "undermines the important social institution of marriage" and had nothing to do with the priorities of ratepayers.

Senator Abetz earlier suggested frontbenchers who supported change should resign, and that allowing same sex marriage would open a "Pandora's box" and potentially lead to polyamory.

Labor Senator Penny Wong has slammed his comments, stating that the "sort of language and propositions from those who oppose marriage equality flick between illogical and outright offensive".


Share
Published 5 July 2015 9:36am
Updated 5 July 2015 7:02pm
By SBS/AAP
Source: AAP, SBS


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world