Culture

Peter Dutton Has Attacked Business Owners For Having The Gall To Support Marriage Equality

"Don’t jam your politically correct views down our throats."

by Tom Clift  17 March 2017
Peter Dutton

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Immigration minister Peter Dutton has slammed prominent Australian business owners over their support of marriage equality because ugh, of course he has.

Dutton, a stubbed toe in the shape of a man who some people believe could be our country’s next Prime Minister, was on 2GB radio yesterday afternoon when he launched a tirade against the heads of more than 30 major companies — including Telstra, Optus, Holden, ANZ, Commonwealth Bank and Qantas — over a letter they sent to Malcolm Turnbull calling for the government to legalise same-sex marriage.

“By supporting marriage equality, businesses send a powerful message to their customers that they think fairness, equality and dignity should be available to all Australians,” read the letter. It also asserted that a change in the law would lead to “a stronger economy and a more inclusive Australia.”

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But according to Dutton, these snobby CEOs should keep their noses out of social affairs and “fringe issues” like, y’know, basic civil rights.

“If they want to run for politics, well resign from their position, stick their hand up at the next election, but don’t jam your politically correct views down our throats,” he told host Ray Hadley. “It’s high time these people pulled back from these moralistic stances and we’d be a better society without them.”

“Here’s a suggestion for Telstra: instead of getting caught up spending your investors’ money, your shareholders’ money, on all these political causes, what about tidying up your own backyard first and providing a proper standard of care to your customers?” he added. “Frankly this is a debate that is worth having, because the customers are missing out, and the service is inferior. It needs to be addressed.”

Look, you’ll get no argument from me that Telstra could pick up their customer service game. But honestly, if I had to choose between better mobile coverage and seeing my LGBTIQ friends afforded the same rights as everyone else, it’s not remotely close. Or, hey, here’s an idea: why not have both?

Putting aside Dutton’s general fuckwittery, it’s great to see more and more businesses coming out publically in support of marriage equality. Hell, even Coopers Brewery is on side now, although it did take some cajoling.

Turnbull, for his part, busted out the same old tune about how this was all actually Labor’s fault for not backing the marriage equality plebiscite. “If we’d had the plebiscite… it would have been passed, and gay couples would be getting married now,” he told 3AW on Friday.