Everything about the postal plebiscite seems to be favouring the ‘no’ camp
Image: (PHOTO: Ann-Marie Calilhanna; Star Observer)
The government has confirmed Australians won’t get to see the proposed marriage equality bill before being asked to vote on it.
If a High Court challenge were to shoot the plebiscite down, there will be no free vote on the issue in parliament, and if the plebiscite goes ahead and a “no” vote wins, there will be no free vote in parliament.
If the plebiscite goes ahead and a “yes” vote wins, it will be non-binding, and a vote will be ‘considered’ by the government.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said the question on the ballot was “self-explanatory” and that “people across Australia understand what the question is,” according to Pink News.
“Our position is very clear,” said Cormann.
“We will facilitate consideration of a private members’ bill after the plebiscite if the ‘yes’ vote has been carried.”
A bill to hold a compulsory plebiscite on marriage equality has twice failed in the Senate, with a $122 million postal plebiscite looking likely to take its place.
However, a group of advocates yesterday announced a High Court challenge to the postal plebiscite, claiming it would be unconstitutional.
Calls have begun for people who want marriage equality to enrol to vote and ensure they have their say should the postal plebiscite go ahead.
“I think it is critical that we know what legislation there would be a vote on,” said Alex Greenwich, co-chair of Australian Marriage Equality.
“Without that, the process just looks like an even bigger farce.”
Calls to scrap the plebiscite entirely in favour of a free parliamentary vote have intensified, with protests drawing marriage equality activists from around the country.
Executive director of The Equality Campaign, Tiernan Brady, said, “The momentum that has grown over the past few months is not going anywhere, we’re not going anywhere.”
Agree, what a sheer waste of money and time, with Abbott calling the no vote shots. I have no time for Turnbull, or the Libs for that matter – Brian.
Conservative political christians and other religions with dogma are wanting to stop what is destined to change as a law in australia?
Well if you were going to design a vote from the ground up to favour the No campaign, you’d use post with no electronic voting, you’d limit it to the electoral roll (ie exclude homeless, lots of young people, those who don’t enrol because they hate party politics) and you’d give yourself every right to vote No in Parliament irrespective of the ballot outcome.
Wow, bingo.
And to drag the poor ABS into it is just really awful. This is statistically a terrible methodology. Why tar the ABS with being involved in an exercise this crappy? Makes me wonder what the ABS did to the Liberals to deserve it.
But for all of it, boycotting is fraught too. It could cost a lot of goodwill with the broader straight community (particularly those folks who don’t have gay friends or relatives). I’m really hoping the legal challenge succeeds and the High Court can ensure sanity prevails.