It beggars belief that at a time when all Liberal guns should be squarely focussed on the destructive ‘tax and bludge’ policies announced by Labor at their recent conference, a cabal of arrogant narcissistic Liberal MPs seek to tear the government apart over the frivolity of same sex marriage. It’s not as if Labor didn’t serve up a platter of socialist policies that demand a united centre-right counter-attack, including Bob Carr’s insidious ‘Let’s recognise Palestine regardless of what that means for the fate of Israel’ motion.

Yet instead of seizing this golden opportunity to unite conservatives and Liberals behind the one issue they should truly be passionate about – tax and spend – a handful of homosexual MPs took it upon themselves to decide now is the time to fire up the ultra-divisive and niche gay marriage debate, with a threat to cross the floor over the issue. To the delight, no doubt, of those within the Labor party wise enough to realise just how disastrous Mr Shorten’s economic plans would prove to be for our economy, the antics of the Pink Liberals have ensured Labor’s plans now escape appropriate scrutiny.

This magazine has frequently criticised Malcolm Turnbull, Scott Morrison and Julie Bishop for their less-than-satisfactory leadership of the government. But at least on the same sex marriage issue, unlike others, they have thus far remained true to their commitment to the electorate and core values. However, no matter how passionately an individual may feel about this particular topic – on both sides of the debate – same sex marriage pales into insignificance in terms of national importance when compared with the wanton vandalism Bill Shorten and his money-grasping cronies intend to inflict upon the productivity and prosperity of this nation.

Make no mistake: the reason same sex marriage remains such a sore point in some corners of Australia is the fault of Labor and the Greens, who together refused to allow the public their say at the election-mandated plebiscite due to take place last February. This was a highly cynical ploy, but the Australian public are not stupid. They can smell Labor’s hypocrisy, and this alone makes them more determined to have their own say on the issue.

Of course, the real reason that the Left fought so stridently against the plebiscite, despite having previously supported it, was the obvious fear that they would lose. What if the people cast their votes and a majority respond ‘thanks but no thanks’ to gay marriage? What then? As with recent Republican shenanigans, we can expect activists to simply ignore the people and push for an alternative path forward. It will be interesting to see whether, in the event that a postal plebiscite is proposed, the LGBTIQ crowd – fearing a potential loss – suddenly decide that this, too, is unacceptable to gays.

This magazine supports homosexual couples being allowed to ‘marry’ under whatever terminology or laws the nation deems appropriate, so long as any new legislation does not alter existing freedoms of religion and dissent. In and of itself, however, gay marriage has long ceased to be about a man and a man or a woman and a woman who are in love with each other being formally permitted to acknowledge that fact. This became clear when the entire LGBTIQ community, with virtually no exceptions, supported Labor’s cynical anti-plebiscite stance, proving that what could be a reasonably straightforward issue has instead taken on a far broader cultural and political import. Indeed, along with ‘belief’ in climate change, ‘marriage equality’ has become a critical battle field to be won or lost in the culture wars. This is a real shame, particularly for gays, who have become the latest ‘useful idiots’ in the Left’s jackboot-stomping march through Australia’s once-revered traditional institutions.

Sadly, the ‘slippery slope’ argument, once sneered at by the Left, has been borne out by events. In Adelaide’s City of Marion council, for instance, councillors are wandering the streets investigating organisations seeking grants to determine whether or not they fly the rainbow flag to ensure, according to the Australian, ‘that only gay and lesbian-friendly organisations could access funding.’

Meanwhile, over in the UK, an idiotic policy to allow men and women to legally determine their own gender without any doctor’s certificate has been proposed. Tellingly, the relevant minister, Justine Greening, has claimed that this is the logical next step on from gay marriage, and even more tellingly, she has asserted that ‘people do want to see our major faiths keep up with modern attitudes’. How long until that ‘wish’ becomes legally enforceable?

More fool the gaggle of gays within the Liberal party who have fallen for the Left’s fairly obvious trap. For the sake of pandering to the faux praise of the anti-democratic and anti-Christian SSM crowd, these Liberal MPs risk plunging their own party into turmoil and seeing their own government replaced by a high-taxing, spendthrift, anti-growth, union-dominated, pro-Palestinian, climate-delusional, neo-Marxist Labor one. Nice work, boys.