Senator BRANDIS (Queensland—Attorney-General, Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (14:47): Senator Hinch, I completely reject the dystopia that you envisage. I think that we will see, in the course of this plebiscite discussion, a great embrace of gay Australians and gay families. Of course there will be outliers. Of course, as I said in answer to your primary question, there might be some people who say regrettable things. But I do not think that the Australian people are, by and large, homophobic. Nor do I think that people who have a conservative view and do not want to see the definition of marriage changed are homophobic either. They merely have a conservative— Senator Hinch: A point of order, Mr President. The Attorney-General was asked why the public was not consulted in 2004. The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Hinch. I remind the Attorney-General of the question. Senator BRANDIS: Senator Hinch, I did want to make that point. In relation to 2004, I voted for that legislation. So did Senator Wong, by the way. Senator Wong and I now both support the issue of marriage equality. There are a lot of people whose minds have changed and whose thoughts have evolved in the passage of the years.