Labor to support marriage motion
Update: 4.00pm: A SKY News poll of 39 Labor backbenchers found that 22 supported marriage equality, seven were opposed, one was undecided while nine refused to answer.
Update: 2.30pm: News Ltd papers are reporting that the Government will support the Bandt marriage equality motion as amended by Labor’s Stephen Jones.
The Coalition will not support the motion but Coalition MPs may more freely vote against the party line than ALP members.
Although Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie has already made public his intention to vote for the motion and his support for same-sex marriage the vote may act as a litmus test for the two rural independents who supported Labor in forming government, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor.
Neither man has made his position on formal legal recognition for same-sex couples public in the past.
8am: Debate is expected to resume today on Melbourne MP Adam Bandt’s push to get federal politicians to talk to their constituents about gay marriage.
Debate lasted about an hour last night as a new survey showed more than 50 percent of Australian support marriage equality.
The motion tabled by Adam Bandt calls on “all parliamentarians, consistent with their duties as representatives, to gauge their constituents’ views on ways to achieve equal treatment for same-sex couples, including marriage”.
News Ltd reports this morning today’s Essential Report by polling firm EMC showed 53 percent of Australians in favour of gay marriage and a further 11 percent undecided. Only 36 percent thought the law that states marriage is only between a man and a woman should be changed.
Bandt called for the parliament to recognise community attitudes towards non-heterosexual relationships was changing.
“It is the power of love that has brought us to this moment in the debate over marriage equality,” he said.
“And it is the power of love that will force this parliament and this country to face the reality of what marriage and love means in the 21st century.”
He said all politicians should seek out the attitude of their constituents and also note the growing number of countries granting marriage equality.
Wentworth MP Malcolm Turnbull – whose electorate has the highest number of gay and lesbian constituents in the country – told the parliament he still believed marriage was between a man and a woman.
Liberal MP Bruce Billson put forward civil unions as an answer to the demand for marriage equality, but his Liberal colleague, Terese Gambaro highlighted the problems faced by partners who have entered a civil unions overseas.
Australia’s marriage equality advocates have welcomed the debate.
Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Tim Wright, who was in parliament for the debate, said support for reform always increases when the issue is discussed.
“We welcome support from MPs in both major parties, including Liberal Warren Entsch, and Labor’s Sharon Grierson,” he said.
“There are many more MPs who personally support reform and who will gradually feel more confident to speak out as the issue is increasingly debated.”
A vote on the motion is expected on Thursday. Write said the Labor Government and key independents were expected to support the motion.
greens are communists and will bankrupt australia
Is a Christian who has said we should never have marriage and should not are Promiscuous. He is against the Greens as they are supporting and end to the oppression of our community.
Civil Marriage Equality will come.
2nd class civil rights for 1st class taxes paid will give way to equality in civil marriage law.
So many countries have now got equal marriage, and Australia will be dragged last, on the bottom of the heap, kicking & screaming, but it WILL come.
Then those that want to get married can have the equal right to choose that option, and those that want to just be “defacto” can choose to remain in that option (AND can choose to get married later on if they change thier mind!).
all part of the communist agenda of the greens
I am against gay marriage, but that is not the point, to say marriage is for procreation, give me a great, thousands and more hetrosexual couples do not have children. My beef with gay marriage and why I will not support it is not morality based like these arguements Phil gives out. But to say its only for procreation – never mind I won’t type on a board what I really thing, but stupid comes to mind.
Good! Labor are starting to wake up & smell the coffee, and realise that marriage in Australia is first & foremost a civil function. Religious marriage is just an optional ceremonial component.
Civil marriage should be open to us like any other taxpaying couple who can get married by a clerk in a government registry office.
It is time our government lifted the oppression and made us free. Free to marry our love if we want to, and free to work without discrimination. Free to be as others. To live as others. Our taxes should not be given to religious hate groups to deny us jobs in hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. This does not lead to equality.
Our sexuality should not be a barrier, or a tool used by cowards to condemn. We should not be persecuted and laws made to vilify us. Laws that are not just must be torn away. We demand laws that are just and fair. Not the cold tyranny of oppression simply because we dare to be ourselves and exist. For we are all good and decent people. It should not be crime for us to say “I do”.
Some of us are not here as they have died defending our nation. Yet those who served and are here, cannot marry their love. Those who sacrificed more then any politician in the Chamber are viewed with contempt, with laws that seek to punish their very existence.
One day we will be a free people. We will all talk about these days we live in now. Our struggle for freedom will send hope around the world. Together will find freedom.
Having lived in a de facto same-sex marriage for 35 years, the passage of time has proven my de facto marriage is a true commitment and has outlasted the marriages of most of my friends and relatives, but in our early years we were forced to endure and overcome prejudice among our relatives and work colleagues.
We made a stand and wore matching wedding rings from the beginning despite the law’s refusal to recognise us. Some people were offended by our display of wedding rings but we stood our ground.
The country has caught up with our brand of love and commitment but the major political parties have not. Young gays and lesbians should not have to prove their love and commitment by 35 years of hindsight. If two people love each other and want to commit to a social union encompassing a shared life, mutual love, care and support, and shared goals, the majorr parties should enable it through legalising same-sex marriage.
I find it interesting that Wong keeps running her mouth about supporting the party line that marriage is reserved for straight people. We need to rid ourselves of our false prophets as we are better served by straights who will actually stand up for what is right, as opposed to what is politically expedient.
ho hum 2 the boring conservative prudish bigots but remember the many gay men losing out on social services over these ‘equality’ reforms!
“I think the time has come where all the arguments against Same-Sex Marriage look childish.”
I couldn’t agree more Dave !
Philip Ruddock relied on the sentence that “marriage is a union between a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others voluntarily entered into for life.”
The phrase “to the exclusion of all others” has been both misunderstood and misrepresented. The “for life” part no longer operates!
The “exclusion of all others” is meant to exclude adultery from one’s marriage, not to exclude same-sex unions from the institution of marriage.
I think the time has come where all the arguments against Same-Sex Marriage look childish.
It is so nice to hear this even just being mentioned in the lower house.
Phillip Ruddock has said “Only those who can procreate should be able to get married and only a man a woman can do that.”, in stating his case for the Liberal Party.