New NSW Labor leader denies his position on gay marriage could harm vote in Newtown
Image: NSW Labor leader Luke Foley
THE history of new NSW Labor leader Luke Foley in opposing same-sex marriage could have a fundamental effect on the party’s chances of winning the inner Sydney seat of Newtown at the upcoming state election, a Sydney academic has told the Star Observer.
However, Foley, who was elected unopposed to become opposition leader on Monday, appears to be softening his position on marriage equality ahead of the election in March.
Recent comments have been far more measured than those in 2012 when he said he believed “homosexual relationships are different to a married relationship,” and that a “procreative relationship open to the possibility of children” was an “essential feature of marriage”.
While Foley has voted in favour of a number of pro-gay bills, including same-sex adoption, he has voted against measures in support of same-sex marriage.
This is despite it being official NSW Labor policy following its championing by shadow transport minister and Labor candidate for Newtown, Penny Sharpe.
According to the ABC the newly-created seat of Newtown, which stretches from Surry Hills to Petersham and takes in much of the eastern portion of the former seat of Marrickville, is notionally Green with a majority of 4.4 per cent over Labor.
Dr Stewart Jackson, a politics lecturer at the University of Sydney, told the Star Observer the fact it was a new seat with a high lesbian population meant the Labor’s leadership’s ongoing comments about same-sex marriage would be critical to the party’s chances in Newtown.
“The lesbian vote is an educated vote, it knows how the Labor party operates and if they are going to say you can have your gay and lesbian candidate but you’re not going to get what you want [in terms of marriage equality] they’ll react to that,” Jackson said.
“How Luke Foley plays out over the next three months will be really interesting.”
Independent state Sydney MP Alex Greenwich part of whose electorate will be ceded to Newtown, praised Sharpe: “Within Labor there’s probably no stronger or more effective supporter of reform.”
“I hope [Foley’s] position doesn’t harm her chances,” he added.
Greens candidate for Newtown Jenny Leong said there was a strong local preference for marriage equality: “This is not just an issue for the couples affected by same-sex marriage; it’s an issue for all progressive people in Newtown.”
Leong criticised Labor for giving MPs a conscience vote on same-sex marriage rather than insisting they all vote in favour.
“[The Greens] don’t have to compromise, people can vote for a party that has consistently supported marriage equality,” she said.
Earlier this week Foley said he now had an “open mind” on marriage equality and he didn’t believe his voting record would affect Labor’s chances in Newtown “because Penny Sharpe is from the LGBTI community and one of its strongest supporters in the NSW Parliament”.
“Penny is also a senior member of Labor who shares the values of those in Newtown and will bring those values to the centre of Labor in government,” he said.
Sharpe told the Star Observer Foley had significantly changed his position on marriage equality.
“An open mind means that he is willing to change his position,” she said.
She also said she would continue to put the case for same-sex marriage to her new party leader.
“I remain optimistic his view will change – as have many others in recent years.”
Vote 1 Sex Party!
Was actually thinking of voting Labor until I learned of this.
Actually, anyone thinking that Labor will actually pass gay marriage laws might be deluded. Yes, they’ll always say they’ll do it to get the gay vote, but in reality it won’t happen.
Why? Because the Labor party is so dependent on two things: 1) the western suburbs/working class vote which encompasses a generally homophobic population.
2) the migrant vote – most, especially from the Middle East and Africa (amongst the most gay hating places on earth) certainly do not want gay marriage allowed. And the Greens keep encouraging people from these places into Australia…just wait until there’s enough of them here to have political power and see what happens to gay rights. That’s why I will no longer vote for them either.
DO NOT vote Liberal either please – for all of our sake!
I am hoping the Sex Party get the NSW seat of Newtown!
There is an old saying my dad once said to me about politicians who are behind the times!
Once a cunt, always a cunt!
Here here Bill!
Both the Labor and Liberal parties have ruined Australia and have raped the poor and middle class LGBTI individuals and LGBTI couples!
The Greens in 2015 are fucking serious when it comes to implementing a simple 9 worded law “a union between two (2) adult human individual persons” to legally allow same-sex marriage – in the whole of Australia. Labor and Liberal are fucking gutless and useless!
In the 2015 Elections, Vote 1 Greens!
So one day the NSW Labor party is laying flowers for Tori Johnson, a man who took a bullet saving strangers. The next day NSW Labor is saying his life is worth less as other humans because of his sexuality.
To be clear, Labor still advicates discrimination in the thousands of government funded religious businesses, and Labor still advocates a hetrosexual person should be the only person able to have equal status under the law. The party of the White Australia policy has become the party that a hetrosexual supremacist can still call home in 2015.
Truer words were never spoken!
That is so true!
The Labor Party are full of right-wing Catholic Cunts – especially the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association!
http://www.sda.org.au/