John Howard is going to decide whether gay couples get equal rights, because Cabinet put it in the too-hard basket. Still, at least they had a vigorous debate that got to the important equity issues relating to same-sex couples. Why, look at how tuned into the issues these people are:
Ministers were also concerned at the expense of reforms, which would cost taxpayers millions of dollars in extra social security payments.
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Mr Turnbull and Mr Hockey are understood to have argued that with high numbers of gay voters in their electorates, reform could not be put off.
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Health Minister Tony Abbott and Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews both argued against the reforms, saying they were not a political priority for the Government ahead of the election.
Discrimination is wrong and needs to be abolished. That should not be a politically debatable point. But in a government that has just suspended anti-discrimination laws for Aboriginal communities and has discovered an extra $3.7 billion to add to its budgeted $13.6 billion budget surplus, I suppose the critical issues are how many million dollars it will cost and how it will play in the marginal seats.
