Plibersek hits back at AME campaign

Plibersek hits back at AME campaign

Sydney MP Tanya Plibersek has hit out at same-sex marriage supporters after Australian Marriage Equality pamphleted her electorate, telling residents not to vote Labor while it opposed marriage equality.

Plibersek denied to Sydney Star Observer that she had ever been a same-sex marriage opponent — or a supporter.

“I’ve never opposed same-sex marriage. That’s a completely wrong and unfair characterisation,” Plibersek said.

“I’m surprised there are people like Australian Marriage Equality who are so unwilling to celebrate the enormous changes that have been fought for for decades — that they just say, ‘None of this matters, I’m only focused on marriage.’

“That’s a real slap in the face to the people who’ve campaigned for changes to taxation laws; to superannuation; to Medicare benefits; to family law; to all of these things that will make a huge difference to people’s lives.

“I moved a private members bill 10 years ago on immigration that was knocked over. Anthony Albanese moved a private members bill 10 years ago and it was knocked over. To disregard how difficult it has been to achieve this, I think, is very unfair.”

Plibersek said she supported formal relationship recognition — just not at a federal level.

“We have consistently said the Government’s policy is that we support formal relationship recognition at a state or territory level that’s consistent across the states and territories.”

Australian Marriage Equality’s Alex Greenwich said Plibersek’s comments were proof that their efforts were having an effect.

“Plibersek is clearly threatened by this campaign as it highlights that her electorate is at odds with her party on this issue,” Greenwich said.

“Her claim that campaigning for marriage equality somehow devalues the Government’s recognition of de facto partnerships will come as a surprise to the many LGBT Australians who have worked for both — including high-profile Wear It With Pride spokespeople like Kerryn Phelps.

“Our community will not be fooled by attempts to distract us from full equality or to divide us into antagonistic pro and anti equality camps. A majority of Australians support our campaign and the vast majority of the LGBT community continue to encourage us. We are sick of the ALP telling us, ‘We gave you that, now stop bothering us’.

“Ordinary Australians — gay and straight — want our country to live up to its principles of equality and fairness. Tanya has made it clear she is not going to fight for our equality, so we as a community will continue to do so.”

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18 responses to “Plibersek hits back at AME campaign”

  1. Bouquets to Labor for bringing about major legislative changes. Brickbats for continued refusal to consider SSM.

    Tanya is no doubt tied to Labor Party policy. But what is the basis for the comment “Everyone knows that Tanya supports SSM”? How are we supposed to know that if she will only tell us that she is not opposed to it? This issue should not be swept under the table. And my vote must be earned.

    She deserves our applause for the good work that she has done in the past. But please don’t make us sound ungrateful – that’s so ‘me, me, me’. We are the ones at the back of the bus! We cop the slaps in the face.

  2. Everyone knows that Tanya supports SSM. The AWU faction that controls the ALP are the ones who AME should be targeting not allies like Tanya. Clearly AME are just a front for the Greens.

    And in all seriousness what can the Greens do? They’ll never have a majority to legislate SSM and they have proven on the ETS that they won’t negotiate. Wouldn’t it make sense to have more progressive ALP members of parliament who will challenge the conservative ALP members rather than a noisy minority of Greens who can’t implement change and will just make the AWU Christians in the ALP dig their heels in harder on the issue.

    SSM will happen in Australia and it will be an ALP Government who legislates it. It just will probably take longer if people like Albanese and Plibersek are defeated, have a look at the last ALP national conference and who was negotiating for SSM, might give our community a bit more perspective.

  3. Stop to Labor lies and rot. The people of Sydney deserve a leader who listens to there constituants – not conservative bullies. Vote them out, vote Green!

  4. No Tanya, it’s a slap in OUR face, that you think that our relationships aren’t as worthy as yours.

    16 year old heterosexuals can get married, but we can’t???? How is that not insulting to us????

    You really don’t get it do you?

    Not voting labor in the federal election.
    Bring on Tony Abott and his fault divorces for heteros!!

  5. Don’t want gay marriage? Then don’t get one and shut the feck up. If lawful consenting adult couples want to marry, whose place is it to say they can’t?

    The incongruous situation looms in NSW that, subject to conscience vote, a same-sex couple will be able to adopt under state law but will be prevented by federal law from being legally wed. In other words, federal law will essentially impose defacto or “registered” status on same-sex parents.

    This discrimination is senseless.

  6. Tanya is so pretty! The people of Sydney should be happy to have such a pretty Member of Parliament representing her — I mean “Sydney’s”– needs. Just because she can get married and gay and lesbian people can’t is just the luck of the draw. She didn’t make the rules. She also seems powerless (or is it “uninterested?”) in changing them.

    But once, when the Labor party was in opposition, she introduced a private members bill on immigration. It didn’t get passed the Howard Government. Who could have foreseen that happening?? Mr Albanese also introduced a private members bill while Labor was in opposition and, gosh darn it, the same thing happened to it, too. Once Labor got into to power, though, they made sure to push through the appropriate changes to federal legislature to ensure gay and lesbian people could be taken advantage of to the fullest extent within the tax scheme. It really only affected people seeking Centrelink benefits, so where is the harm?

    It does perplex me a bit that Ms Plibersek, as a Federal Minister, seems to think it is important to argue against full equality for gay and lesbian people on the federal level while thinking that it’s just fine and dandy for us to get some regcognition on a state level, if the states decide to do so. Washing our hands of the responsibility, are we Minister Plibersek?

    Let’s be real for a moment now, shall we? Both Ministers Plibersek and Albanese have the highest concentration of gay and lesbian constituants in the Sydney area and probably the whole country. If they and their party think it is fair to continue to keep discrimination against gays and lesbians as the law of the land in this country they have every right to do so. We can complain all we want and nothing is going to change. The only time we get to voice our opinion and know that it is going to be heard is on election day. The people in the seats of Sydney and Grayndler have the power to change things.

    As a gay man who is a migrant to this country, the only party I feel deserves my vote is the Greens. They are the only party that seem to think that gays and lesbians deserve the same rights as everybody else. For heaven’s sake, their leader is an openly gay man!

    Labor and Liberal seem to be much of a muchness these days. I know that at the next federal election I will be voting for change. I will be voting Green.

  7. Even the Straights have given upon marriage. Why are we bothering? Marriage is a decayed institution that smacks of religion!

  8. Lets be frank…Members of the ALP vote as a bloc. And they Supported the Marriage Legislation Amendment Bill (2004) which defined marriage is between a “man” and a “woman”

    Its crystal clear the ALP supported the homophobic Liberal /National Howard Govt back in 2004.

    Tanya is only worried about her seat !

    Its very black and white the ALP are no friend of the LGBT Community.

    Let’s call a spade a spade . It’s time to move on from blind support for the ALP.

    Cheers xx

  9. We now have the same legal equality as a heterosexual defacto couple thanks to Labor, however we have very low social equality over the whole of Australia. Sure there might be a high level of social equality for GLBT people in Sydney or Melbourne but we need a high level of social equality for all GLBT all over Australia, and when that happens we will probably have more chance at gaining marriage equality.

  10. Tanya’s right. You queers should be grateful for whatever the Labor Party metes out to you. Tanya can get married, but you lot don’t have that right until you agree to do whatever she says. Vote Labor or else.

  11. Labor made us Financial Centres in the changes they made, that is all. We pay tax better, but those on Centerlink benefits get less money. Oh they do recognize our relationship as far as that goes. Let’s celebrate! Pop the bubbly! Give us a break.

    So Federal Labor is saying they have done enough. Where is the protection in the Federal Equal Opportunity Act? This could of been done at any time while Labor was in office.

    Labor is saying vote for us, and we will do no more for you. Where is their policy on us? Where is the policy! They are doing no more for us. Nothing. If they win government they are not giving us shit. Yes I was a true believer once in Kevin07. I could accept no Gay Marriage, I wanted changes to the basics such as the Federal Equal Opportunity Act. I had thought all of these would be changed with Kevin07. But we were just made into Financial Centres. I am more than that, and so are you.

    We need something on the table before we vote Labor. Not wishful bloody thinking. I am so tired of Labor. They should not be surprised we are turning on them. Who is not? Even the Ministers are leaving the new look more extreme policies government.

  12. Plibersek: “I’m surprised there are people like Australian Marriage Equality who are so unwilling to celebrate the enormous changes that have been fought for for decades.”

    Celebrate?? Why should we celebrate? Celebrate receiving only part of what rightfully should be ours anyway; basic civil rights as human beings? Does the slave celebrate when he’s told that he’s only going to be whipped on Mondays now instead of every day? Does he say, “Oh thank you master for only whipping me on Mondays now”? No, he doesn’t. He says “I’m a human being. Set me free and give me the same rights as you.”

    If Tanya Plibersek could whine any louder, you could stick her on top of an ambulance and use her as a siren.

  13. Labor has never lifted a finger to help with gay issues. It was only through the truely heroic efforts of people like the late Sid Spindler(Aust.Democrats) that many of our rights were established thru backroom wheeling and dealing. Labor has NO interest in celebrating or supporting diversity. If you read the above article you would think that we should grateful to Pilbeseck and co.!!! Grateful for demanding basic human rights??!!! I don’t think so. Human rights are inalienable rights. They are NOT voted on, they are not decided upon because we happen to like or dislike a group, no they are a given. All of labor’s so called ammendments to law are just that, they are ‘smoke and mirror’ ammendments that cut no ground toward equality, they are merely band-aid laws that make out discrimination has ended. We are not even mentioned in the new anti-discrimination overhaul that labor is crowing about, but breast-feeding in public is!!!!!!You go figure.
    VOTE GREEN and toss the labor bastards overboard.

  14. 10 years ago the landscape (& Labor) was different, pre-Family First, pre Sept11 & the rise of religion in Lib & Labor, and back then it was fashionable for Labor to promote gay & lesbian issues. But that was 10 years ago, now in the “post- Family First era” it’s not so fashionable. Marriage IS an election issue & has been for the last 2 elections BUT only for Australian Christian Lobby (not us)- who Labor are VERY happy to talk to about marriage as a core election promise & sprout these promises at ACL conferences.
    Time hasn’t stood frozen completely for the 10years- we did get the defacto reforms- but that gave the highest level of recognition to a large number of people who didn’t want to get married (many Centrelink couples), but still nothing tangible for those younger working people who do want to get married. ie Centrelink get recorded on a national register, wheras working people only get state registers.
    So yes Labor did all the hard yards & good work for us 10years ago, but that all stopped about 2003 as Family First where emerging. It’s time that the pro-gay Greens emerged & turn the tide. (The preference is still for a Labor government, but under the growing balance of power of the Greens and more & more entire seats & sheer prescence that will continue to fall to the Greens).
    And it’s not just gays that are fed up- their extended families & friends are now better educated about the issue, angry, and ready to vote accordingly.

  15. The reality is this, we know that the Liberal Party will not support Gay Marriage leaving the hope for gay marriage with the Labor Party whom in the past have supported to bring in equality. Sorry Tanya always supported your work but the bottom line is this.. do you support gay marriage? yes or no, if no well anybody should have the right to campaign against you for not supporting what the majority of the population wants. Poll after poll says so, so grow a bit of back bone, harden up and show some leadership which I know you are more than capable of.As a past member of the labor party and past activist for labor I have to step back and look at why should I vote for a party that doesn’t look much different to the Liberal Party.

  16. The UK and New Zealand don’t have gay marriage, but they do have civil unions, a far less cringe-worthy option than having a bloke throw the bridal bouquet.