Greens need your help for conscience vote

Greens need your help for conscience vote

Having introduced a bill to grant marriage equality to all Australians this afternoon, Greens Senator and GLBTI issues spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young has set up an online petition on the Greens party website calling on the major parties to allow a conscience vote on the issue.

The petition reads:

“To the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives, and the Honourable President and Members of the Senate in Parliament assembled.”

“The Petition of the undersigned draws to the attention of the Parliament the overwhelming public support for marriage equality. We believe that Australians should not be discriminated against in marrying the person they love on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity.”

“We note that countries including Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Spain, South Africa, Mexico and many states in the United States now recognise same-sex marriage. The sky hasn’t fallen in there and we know it won’t here in Australia.”

“Your petitioners therefore request the Parliament to urge the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader to grant their members a conscience vote on this important issue.”

At 8.30 pm on Wednesday, just a few hours after the petition page went online, over 1,200 people had already signed.

At this stage it is unknown whether debate will be allowed on the bill, and a vote could come any day now.

A hard copy of the petition can also be printed off the website for those wishing to take a copy into work or school to gather hard copy signatures to be posted in to the Greens.

The petition can be found at- www.sarah-hanson-young.greensmps.org.au/content/petition/reintroducing-marriage-equality-amendment-bill

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12 responses to “Greens need your help for conscience vote”

  1. This will be the real test of the Greens.
    Personally, it doesn’t matter to me one way or the other but political parties which promise the world and then only talk about it when they’ve actually got power don’t get my vote next time round.
    Excuse my scepticism, but the Australian Democrats was one such party in recent times that turned out to be a toothless tiger…and look at it now.

  2. thanks for putting up the bill but what was the point when you knew it woulde be defeated, a smater choice wait till you have the balance of power, then utilise the time between now and then to build the biggest presence that a conscience vote might have happened, if I can work this pout why couldn’t the greens

  3. Mr Rees, if you are going to insult and demean us, at least have the decency to spell check!

    Our Government is supposed to represent the will of the people. You would think with 60% of Australians in support of equal marraige, and the fact that no matter how many times they say, we keep coming back and demanding another answer, that the Government would eventually get the message?

    As an openly gay Christian, marriage is more than just legal recognition to me. It is about being married in the eyes of God, just as much as it is bout being marraied in the eyes of the law.

    And Mr Rees? May God forgive you for your hate and your ignorance.

  4. Equality harms no-one.

    No-one.

    Not one person has ever been nor ever will be harmed by people being treated as equals.

    There’s no valid reason to maintain the injustice of inequality. A Fair Go is meant to be an Australian Ideal.

    So lets finally start living itm give everyone a fair go, treat everyone as equals the way we always should have.

    Mr Rees above needs to read the rest of his bible. Do Unto Others… i.e. treat everyone as equals.

  5. Where is Portugal, Argentina and Iceland in the same sex marriage list?????

    Also only Mexico city has same sex marriage – not Mexico!!!!!!

  6. SSO editors…it’s one thing to publish contrary opinion, but the “contribution” from “n rees” is just abusive.

  7. I agree with Mr n r rees. Society went down hill as soon as heterosexuals were allowed to divorce!

    Kind of makes a mockery of the “for life” part of marriage legislation that these politicians seem to keep on forgetting about.

  8. Unfortunately the views expressed by Mr Rees are not uncommon. It is sad that people still perpetuate these views that clearly have been espoused by politicians and church leaders of a bygone era whose personal agendas have clouded their judgement of what is morally right.Discrimination and marginalisation of groups can only detract from society.
    I urge you all to support this bill by signing the petition and help remove another piece of discrimination.

  9. What a great argument @rees gives for us all to support the dismantling of legislation that discriminates against the GLBTQ community. Whether you wish to get married or not, consider allowing your friends to have the choice, and push for equality in all things. Please sign the Greens petition.

  10. dont you think this country has had enough of minority groups, gett ing wat they ask for, MARRIAGE FOR MAN TOO WOMAN ONLY, FEMINISTS, GAYS, LESBIANS, ABORTIONS, CHILDEREN LIVEING WITH GAYS, AN LESBIANS,THOSE KIDS ARE GOING TO BE, GAY’S, AN LESO’S AS SURE AS THERE IS A GOD,YES THERE IS A GOD WHICH ALL YOU IN PARLIMENT WILL FIND OUT VERY SOON, YOU ALL DISGUST ME, AS MOST OF THE PEOPLE
    IN AUSTRALIA DO, REMMEBER SODOM AN GAMORA