Marriage conscience vote?

Marriage conscience vote?

Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie has placed a conscience vote in the Parliament on same-sex marriage on a wish list of demands sent to both Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition leader Tony Abbott.

Wilkie has been on the record as a supporter of same-sex marriage since running as a Greens candidate in the 2004 federal election. He joins Green Adam Bandt in the House of Representatives in his support.

Australian Marriage Equality wrote to Wilkie and the three rural independents asking them to support such a vote.

AME national spokesman Alex Greenwich said it was uncertain if a conscience vote would bring Australia closer to same-sex marriage, but without a free vote the issue would not be properly debated.

“No matter what their personal position is on the legal recognition of same-sex couples, if the independents truly believe the next Parliament should be a more open and transparent forum for debating key public issues they will insist on a conscience vote on marriage equality,” Greenwich said.

“A conscience vote will allow the large number of Labor and Liberal MPs who support equality to better represent the majority of Australians who do too.”

Wilkie has indicated he will announce which of the major parties he will support to form Government today, leaving the final decision to independents Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor and Bob Katter.

Asked about how sympathetic the rural independents were likely to be to GLBT rights, Australian Coalition for Equality’s national spokesman Corey Irlam told Sydney Star Observer that two were likely to be allies.

“Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott both have a previous voting history of supporting same-sex law reform,” Irlam said.

“We would hope to think that with issues like federal anti-discrimination laws appearing before this Parliament they will continue that history.”

As to whether same-sex marriage would be a bridge too far for Oakeshott and Windsor, Irlam said, “Only time will tell”.

“But I’ve found both gentlemen to have an open mind and willing to listen to the arguments. To be honest, I don’t think it’s something they have really thought about.”

Considering Bob Katter’s history of homophobic statements, Irlam said hope was “limited” for the far north Queensland independent.

In 1994 Katter famously said, “If the poof population of north Queensland is any more than 0.001 percent, I’ll walk to Bourke backwards”.

Katter made similar statements responding to the release of the film Brokeback Mountain in 2005.

The independents have indicated they are prepared to split from each other in deciding who forms Government. Oakeshott and Windsor have a history of voting with the Labor Party in the House of Representatives, while Katter has a history of voting with the Coalition.

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7 responses to “Marriage conscience vote?”

  1. Brendan, I consistently ask how far the Greens will go to use the balance of power to achieve reform.

    The Greens could have demanded a conscience vote for same-sex marriage as a condition to support Gillard as PM.

    But they didn’t…now we have an ALP/Green alliance covered in a four page document that doesn’t once mention gay or lesbian reform.

    And your point on independent Andrew Wilkie is well taken. \

    Like Greens MP Adam Bandt, his initial declaration of unconditional support for same-sex marriage disappeared pretty damn quickly.

    Finally Brendan, I don’t support your proposal to “just watch, wait & see what unfolds”.

    Power, politics and reform don’t work that way. A motion debated and defeated doesn’t change the law.

    The reality is, the Greens had Labor by the balls – and they let go.

  2. Lo and behold, Andrew Wilkie has not made same-sex marriage a requirement of his agreement with the ALP. Any regular reader here knows that regular commenter Ben has a special bee in his bonnet about the Greens, so his comments above are just more par for the course. Instead of being so haughty, impatient and blinkered like rude Ben, we would all do well to just watch, wait & see what unfolds in the weeks and months ahead :)

  3. Good on Andrew Wilkie. He is good people.

    I, too, am a bit disappointed that we didn’t get any more with the Greens.

  4. Yes the Greens did sell us out.

    They put a rail link on the agreement with the ALP but no Same-Sex Marriage. They joined the Gillard Haters and the dogs who run the Australian Workers Union.

    They lied. They can get fucked next time they want our vote.

  5. The rest of the world has already identified the issue of discrimination against same sex marriages as a denial of rights. So why is this government dragging it’s out dated, ideology of what marriage is “supposed” to be? I’ve heard many statements from “straight” people stating we are ramming the “homophobia” & “discrimination” cards down their throats. They really need to walk in our shoes for a mile or 10 to really understand what it is like being discriminated against, bashed for who we are, being verbally abused through childhood into adulthood, then be told by homophobic politicians that I can’t marry the person I love. Please remember marriage is a human right, not a heterosexual privilege. The reason we are loud about it is this; We live every days of our lives with legislation which discriminates against us. We have recently had 85 laws changed which only now governments agree are discriminative except the right to marry. 10 other countries: Canada, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands (Holland), Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, South Africa, The United States: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, and Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, California, Rhode Island, New Mexico and Washington, DC Central/South America: Mexico City, Argentina all who have agreed the ban on same sex marriage is a discrimination of human rights. The world is waking up and seeing what discrimination looks like and they are changing it. The current politicians against same sex partners, they are so ‘hell bent’ on not allowing the gay marriage to become an issue for them by sprouting the marriage act and side-stepping any possibility where this can enter into any political discussion which could allow it to get to a point where being entered into a conscience vote is all based on fear. Fearful they will lose precious % of voters. People fear things they do not understand. I’m embarrassed by the government of this country that the rest of the world is so far advanced in not only the political landscape but also in terms of human rights, hell, how embarrassing is it that “South Africa” is “Moving Forward” to coin Ms. Gillard that is more advanced in human right than Australia? Until this law is changed we’ll continue living with an early 19th century marriage act that doesn’t properly reflect what marriage ‘really’ is in the year 2010. More than 70% of Australians agree it means nothing to them if we want to get married. Shame Australia, Shame!

  6. Andrew Wilkie does not expect this on other legislation so why is it different for us. We are expected to fall for the notion politicians have a conscience?