Ditch the plebiscite, urge marriage equality advocates

Ditch the plebiscite, urge marriage equality advocates
Image: Malcolm Turnbull. Photo: Ann-Marie Calilhanna

MARRIAGE equality advocates are calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to ditch the $160 million plebiscite after it was placed in the budget contingency fund.

“It’s absurd that after harping on for years about a so-called budget emergency the Liberals are progressing with a $160 million plebiscite on marriage equality,” Australian Greens Senator Robert Simms said.

“Now for the first time we are seeing this costly plebiscite factored into the budget. Australians want marriage equality and they want to see this matter dealt with by the parliament.

“Mr Turnbull could easily inject $160 million back into the budget bottom line by dropping the plebiscite and allowing his members a free vote in the parliament. Public money should not be used to facilitate a hate campaign against the LGBTI community.”

Australian Marriage Equality (AME) national director Rodney Croome said equality should not cost Australians anything.

“The Budget has confirmed just how costly a plebiscite will be, and how wasteful given Parliament could pass marriage equality tomorrow. Corporate, political and religious leaders, and mental health experts, have all raised concerns about a plebiscite,” he said.

“We call on the Government to drop its plan for an expensive and unnecessary plebiscite and spend this money on essential services instead.

“Regardless of who wins the next election we need to build support in the community and parliament, and in the lead up to the next election.”

Croome said the AME will be running campaigns in more than 30 seats across Australia to convince candidates and communities to support marriage equality.

“If the Coalition remains committed to a plebiscite and is returned to government we will run a ‘yes’ campaign that unites Australians behind a reform that reflects our nations’ values of fairness and equality,” he said.

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7 responses to “Ditch the plebiscite, urge marriage equality advocates”

  1. Robert makes sense and is spot on – David of Central Coast has yet to learn that life isn’t fair – David is exaggerating more dramatically than a NIDA graduate – and Ben is an unashamed ALP whore. The rest of us just wonder how something so simple can be blown out of all proportion? When marriage equality is eventually passed even the homophobes will be hard pressed to find objectionable stuff to whinge about- except Cory Bernardi who will continue to make stuff up regardless.

  2. Australia is a strange country still not allowing marriage equality. Your PM Malcolm Turnbull pretends to be a progressive, when he is a leader of a party so conservative Donald Trump would say it is way too liberal! Now Tony Abbott is acting like Kevin Rudd from 2007! The whole world has gone mad! But then again Northern Ireland also still does not allow marriage equality as well.

  3. Malcolm Turnbull really is “between a rock and a hard place” when it comes to Abbott’s absurd Plebiscite.
    If he scraps it we can Guarantee the ALP, the Greens and others – all of whom seem to think and indeed have stated, that the Plebiscite should be scrapped, will accuse him of “Breaking a Promise”
    Abbott in his usual devious way promised this absurd Plebiscite because he knew – as do, or should, know that Plebiscites are Not Binding on any Government and Abbott, if he had not been deservedly dumped, knew that should he win the 2016 Federal Election, he could simply ignore the results of it.
    Turnbull should scrap it BUT as there are still many, many politicians both from within the ALP and Coalition who are homophobic, religion-bound bigots and given that the proposal is that the politicians should be given a Free Conscience Vote – Fixed Policy within the ALP and which has already caused one ALP Senator to resign from Parliament – there is NO Guarantee that any Legislation presented to the Federal Parliament would pass – despite the fact that an almost constant 74% of Voters want Marriage Equality –
    As I say poor Malcolm is between a very hard rock and an every bit as hard place in this and should not be judged too harshly.

  4. Why should I vote at the federal election on July 2, when they do not do there jobs on passing a simple law on budget, media reform, marriage equality, NBN reforms and outlawing revenge porn? These politicians get paid 300,000 dollars a year to do very little work, when someone like me gets paid just $1 above minimum wage for 40 hours a week at my job in the Sara Lee factory! How is that fair?

    • David – you should vote for the candidate who will introduce a law for marriage equality within 100 days – that is the commitment by the ALP (no wasteful plebiscite!)

      ….Sara Lee….mmmmm…appple pie…

  5. The plebiscite is ugly apartheid. It is Turnbull supporting a campaign that likens us to being “unsafe” around children on a bus, on the radio, and while watching our favourite television. As we have seen in the UK, some of us will die. We are being targeted for hate crimes by the Prime Minister. He has 15 police, we having nothing between us and the idiot on the late night train.

  6. When Turnbull is elected as PM I wonder if he will suddenly realise that a free vote in parliament was the ideal solution after all !!