Martine Delaney had complained to Tasmania's Anti-Discrimination Commission about a booklet produced by Australia's Catholic bishops.

The booklet, titled "Don't Mess with Marriage", was a pastoral letter from the bishops sparked by the same-sex marriage debate.

Ms Delaney and Hobart archdiocese agreed to enter conciliation last year, but the activist said the Church refused to budge from its position.

Ms Delaney said she withdrew her case to avoid a lengthy tribunal battle.

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Former Australian cabinet minister Senator Eric Abetz put up the motion in the senate on Thursday.

This was on the same day as it was confirmed that Tasmania's anti-discrimination commissioner is to conduct an investigation into the pamphlet.

The pamphlet, which is a letter from Australia's Catholic bishops, was distributed to Catholic schools throughout the nation earlier this year.

It outlines the Church's stance against changing Australia's Marriage Act to include same-sex couples.

The senate motion by Mr Abetz was brought with some crossbench support.

The motion stated that: "The senate, while not expressing a view on the contents of the booklet issued by the Australian Catholic bishops conference entitled ‘Don't Mess with Marriage', fully supports the rights of members of the Catholic Church, including Archbishop Julian Porteous [of Hobart], to distribute it."

Labor and the Greens joined forces to block the motion before it got put to a vote.

Mr Abetz said that the two parties shut down the basic right of freedom of speech.

"Free speech is a key pillar of our society and the tricky tactics used by Labor in an effort to shut down debate and run a protection racket for the extreme Greens flies in the face of the open discussion we should be having about marriage," he said.

Labor senator Claire Moore said it was "simply not appropriate for the senate to determine a position on this matter", while a case was being decided.

Greens senator Robert Simms said: "The Australian Greens support free speech in this country, but we recognise that freedom of speech is a limited concept in any democracy.

"We believe that the right to express a view should be balanced against the rights of members of our community to feel safe and secure from persecution and discrimination."

Mr Abetz has promised to bring back the motion to the senate.

Sources

• Guardian Australia
• Guardian Australia
• Sydney Catholic
• Image: Sydney Morning Herald

Martine Delaney has asked the commissioner's office to investigate Hobart Archbishop Julian Porteous and the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

At issue is the booklet "Don't Mess with Marriage", produced by the bishops earlier this year.

The booklet makes it clear that the Church opposes the legalisation of same-sex marriage and explains why it defends legal marriage as being between a man and a woman.

The publication was distributed in June to about 12,000 Tasmanian families whose children attend Catholic schools.

Campaigner Martine Delaney, who is the Greens' candidate for the federal seat of Franklin, said the booklet could cause "immeasurable harm".

She told media that the booklet gives "the idea that same-sex attracted people can never have a relationship that is equal to a heterosexual marriage, that they can never be whole as people, that their children can never be complete as people".

In her complaint, Ms Delaney asked for a public apology from the Archbishop Porteous and the Australian Catholic Bishops.

She also wants the Catholic Church in Tasmania to implement a Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex awareness program for all staff and students within the Catholic education system.

Australia's government has suggested that a plebiscite will be held on legalising same-sex marriage during the next federal parliament.

Archbishop Porteous said it is important that there be an open and free debate.

"The [booklet] affirms the dignity of all human beings regardless of their physical characteristics, gender or the orientation of their sexual attraction," he said.

"[It]condemns in the strongest terms any form of unjust discrimination."

He said some people want Christians prevented from publicly expressing their views on important social issues.

"Increasingly they are trying to manipulate anti-discrimination legislation to achieve this end.

"This represents the rise of a new intolerance against Christianity in Australian society and more generally a threat to freedom of speech."

Once the Commissioner has investigated a complaint it could be referred onto an Anti-Discrimination Tribunal, which has the power to make orders.

Sources

• Guardian Australia
• ABC
• Hobart Legal
• Image: ABC