Waiting for a vote

WARREN ENTSCH is a former crocodile-catcher whose federal parliamentary seat covers a remote tropical region of Australia bigger than Bangladesh. His home state of Queensland and his party, the ruling Liberals, are both conservative. Mr Entsch calls himself “the stereotype redneck”. He is also one of Australia’s most unlikely and zealous advocates for making gay marriage legal. Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister, has called a non-binding referendum on the issue early next year. Mr Entsch and fellow politicians, however, are bitterly divided over whether asking voters is the best approach. Their rancour will be evident when parliament reconvenes on October 10th after nearly a month’s break.