Gay marriage “offensive” to NT voters

The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) has partly blamed the issue of gay marriage for Labor’s loss in the Northern Territory election last week.

Managing director of the ACL, Jim Wallace (pictured), said that the election outcome that saw Labor lose government after 11 years had shown a strong backlash from Christian indigenous communities.

Northern Territory Labor Senator Trish Crossin said in a statement that rural and indigenous communities had been a deciding vote in the election.

Wallace said part of that backlash had been caused by federal Labor’s pro-gay marriage stance despite many politicians and commentators claiming indigenous concerns such as the NT Intervention were the decisive issues affecting their vote.

“Labor’s support for gay marriage is offensive to the great majority of faith communities, and if the federal election is to be as close as Labor hopes, it will cost Labor deeply in 2013 too,” he said.