Abbott meets marriage supporters
by Benjamin Riley
Marriage equality supporters have presented Opposition leader Tony Abbott with 2500 letters demanding a conscience vote from the Coalition on same-sex marriage, prompting campaigners to step up efforts to meet with Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Last Friday Abbott met to discuss marriage equality with small business owner and Vietnam veteran Geoff Thomas and his gay son Nathan. Nathan presented the Opposition leader with the 2500 letters.
Thomas, who helped focus national attention on the issue by asking Abbott about marriage equality on the nationally televised ABC current affairs program Q&A, believes the meeting went well.
鈥淲hat he said was if the majority of people in the Liberal Party wanted a conscience vote he would consider it,鈥� Thomas said.
鈥淚 got to tell you he gave us a very reasoned amount of time and I think he was impressed with what we had to say. My reading of it was that it was a very successful meeting.鈥�
Thomas conceded that other Coalition frontbenchers had been less open to a discussion on marriage equality.
鈥淲hen [Nationals leader] Warren Truss met us he just lectured us about how we ought to behave,鈥� he said.
But despite receiving the letters in support of a conscience vote on marriage equality, Abbott鈥檚 office downplayed the possibility that the Coalition鈥檚 policy could change to allow a conscience vote on the issue by its members any time soon.
鈥淭here was a candid discussion with Nathan and Geoff Thomas in which Mr Abbott restated that the Coalition鈥檚 policy is to oppose gay marriage and that it is Coalition policy not to have a conscience vote on the issue,鈥� a spokesperson for Abbott told The Australian.
Prime Minister Gillard has so far refused to even meet with marriage equality advocates.
Urged on by Thomas鈥� meeting with the Opposition leader, Australian Marriage Equality national convenor Alex Greenwich said his organisation will resume its campaign to meet with Gillard to discuss the urgency of legal reform.
鈥淲e want to impress on the Prime Minister that this is not a boutique issue that can wait till she deals with everything else, but an urgent human rights reform that cannot wait any longer,鈥� he said.
Like the Opposition, the federal Labor Government also opposes marriage equality, although Gillard has promised the party鈥檚 policy will be reviewed at its National Conference at the end of this year.
if you want to be an archaic narrow minded fool with no grip on reality and no idea what century we’re in… listen to the gospel according to TRIGGER…
what a dumb arse…
Trigger – If you want to be straight then stay in the closet.
It always makes me laugh how to the crazy religious nutters always find their way onto our websites and comment (referring to trigger).
Gay marriage is going to happen so everyone needs to get used to it. I believe in Adam and Eve and Adam and Steve.
While some gay people may not want to get married I hope they support other gay people in the community having the choice to marry.
Keep up the good work AME and I strongly encourage all who support gay marriage to contact their local member and let them know your thoughts on the matter.
peace
x
Trigger: longitudinal studies show that children of same-sex parents do at least as well as children of opposite-sex parents!
For all the criticism that has been lobbed at Abbott, at least he had the wherewithall and decency to meet with representnatives of AME.
The same, unfortunately, cannot be said of Gillard.
@trigger .. if you want to be straight stay away from gay websiets and the gay media – you might catch the gay germ and start to fancy the same-sex.
In fact, you probably already have – quick get yourself to a psychiatric clinic!
Jesus washed the prostitutes foot. He did say you are not natural or make me vommitt. It is a contrast the lives some lead to that of Jesus. They are full of hate.
I can see why millions of Christians around Australia like my Bishop support Same-Sex Marriage.
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What a depraved nation we are becoming. Same sex marriage is totally inapropriate and disgusts me to the enth degree.It just wants to make me vomit!! Male and female were formed to be a pair and to be together and if you noticed thats how babys are conceived. They can’t be conceived male to male or female to female. And what future have children of Gay parents. What do they say when their asked who is your dad or who is your mum when they have the same sex parents.
If you want to be Gay stay in the closet!
Tony Abbott has a huge conflict of interest taking orders from the Vatican over us the people. Australia has an ambassador to the Vatican and treats it as another country. Yet we are expected to be ruled by a leader who has allegiance to the Pope?
I am not a Catholic and refuse to be treated as one.
Not on my watch Abbott!
Our society is degenerating bit by bit No-one knows how to behave anymore we all have so many rights and NO responsibility Same sex marriage is just another Mens GYM or club thing its OK for women to have single sex Gyms not men and clubs Swimming pools and times for muslim women… I’m coming back next time as a gay female on the dole and pushing for save the planet while I surf and protest in my burqa hopefully in another country that isn’t broke from crazy GREEN policy Marriage between gays Gay priests YUK YUK YUK. You may have legalised this …stuff but I don’t have to like it and look down on the filth that promote it and say YUK
Looks like Abbott is dog whistling on Civil Rights.