Australia’s prime minister has introduced legislation to Parliament to allow a public but non-binding vote on gay marriage early next year.
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Comedian Magda Szubanski, Olympian Matthew Mitcham, singer Foustina Agolley, writer Benjamin Law and former Australian Medical Association boss Kerryn Phelps are among almost 200 Australians who have signed up to the new campaign, arguing the plebiscite will be damaging to vulnerable people and pointless because it won’t bind members of Parliament.
The country’s conservative Liberal government had planned to hold a national plebiscite, similar to a referendum, on whether or not to allow gay couples to marry in February 2017.
He confirmed to the ABC on Tuesday morning that the “no” camp will use the public funds to campaign against Safe Schools, roll back anti-discrimination laws and show what they think will happen if you take gender out of marriage.
Let me be as blunt as possible: “a “no” campaign would be an emotional torrent for gay teenagers, and if one child commits suicide over the plebiscite, then that is one too many”.
Turbull, however, insists that “society would be stronger if more people were married” and that the plebiscite is part of his Liberal-National coalition’s election commitment to holding the “thoroughly democratic” vote, local media reported.
“To characterise (some) as being homophobic, as hating homosexuals.is profoundly disrespectful”, he said.
The Government of Australia is discussing the issue of marriage equality.
He believes the concerns Labor’s professed over the impact of a potentially hurtful debate are “completely disingenuous” given Mr Shorten supported the idea of a plebiscite a year ago.
“There is no doubt, no doubt whatsoever that if the Australian people choose to vote yes, the Parliament – both sides of Parliament – will respect their wishes”, he said.
The issue was a matter of conscience for millions of Australians, he said, and that’s why a plebiscite should be supported.
Malcolm Turnbull says the government could make changes to its proposed same-sex marriage plebiscite in a bid to get Labor on board.
Because The Greens and a number of crossbench senators, including three from the Nick Xenophon Team, plus Derryn Hinch, have already said they will vote against the proposal, the Coalition needs the support of Labor for the plebiscite to proceed.
“There will be a plebiscite on the 11th of February unless [opposition Labor leader] Bill Shorten decides to block it [in the Senate]”, he said, according to RTÉ.
Most gay rights activists are against a vote, saying it should be decided in Parliament without the potential divisive public debate.
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Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek described the plebiscite as an expensive and harmful delaying tactic.
