Marriage ban costs $700m

Marriage ban costs $700m

Australia’s ban on same-sex marriage is costing the economy more than $700 million according to new research by political action group Australian Marriage Equality (AME).
Using a  formula developed by economists in the United States, AME’s figures were compiled by multiplying the average cost of weddings in Australia with the percentage of Australia’s same-sex couples who would marry if equal marriage laws were in place.
Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Alex Greenwich said a quick calculation using very conservative figures shows the cost of marriage discrimination is at least $742 million.
“The Rudd Government’s continued discrimination against gay and lesbian Australians is not only hurtful, it is also a very expensive prejudice to maintain,” he said.
“On top of [weddings] there would be spending on honeymoons and spending by overseas visitors who would come to Australia to marry.”
The last census indicated that there are at least 50,000 same-sex couples. The Bureau of Statistics admits the actual figure would be higher than that due to the way information is recorded. The ABS calculated the average cost of a wedding at $28,000 in 2007.

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4 responses to “Marriage ban costs $700m”

  1. This article is rubbish – gays spend outrageously way and beyond str8’s regardless. Wedding ceremonies are irrelevant.

  2. deary me. this so called economic modelling is so flimsy you could drive a truck through it. this money is not new; it already exists. it is just being spent on something other than a marriage. whether that is good or bad is beside the point; it is the same amount of money and it is in the economy already. in other words: the effect of gay marriage would be neutral. the more real cost is the inefficiency that discriminatory laws introduce; if AMA wanted to model that and have a number to spruik at the end of it, i’d be all for it.

  3. I knew this all along and Kevin Rudd and his christian friends of the ACL and not to mention Tony Abbott – the man telling women what to do with their bodies in 2010. Labor or Liberal will sink us into even more deeper debt already at 100 billion dollars and counting!!! – but don’t worry he is relying on gay men like me and other gay men and lesbians to pay extra taxes or the government will steal money of us within Centrelink so we still be classed as “second class” or “not worthy of marriage”. That is just plain ‘HIGHWAY ROBBERY’ in my book.

    So in conclusion my vote goes straight to Bob Brown or the Greens in November 2010!!!!!