Marriage worth $136m to Tassie
Marriage equality activists have released figures showing that Tasmania could reap a windfall of as much as $136 million should it legalise same-sex marriage before the rest of Australia as the Tasmanian Parliament prepares to vote on a motion giving in-principle support to same-sex marriage.
The motion is expected to pass with Tasmanian Labor Premier Lara Giddings already indicating her party鈥檚 support and the Liberal Party allowing a conscience vote.
Australian Marriage Equality (AME) released the figures at the Tasmanian State Parliament in Hobart today, which show that 87 percent of Australian same-sex couples who would like to marry would marry in Tasmania if it was the first state to allow same-sex marriages, and that 60 percent of these would spend over $10,000 on their Tasmanian wedding and honeymoon.
AME arrived at the figure by polling same-sex couples who wish to marry and then combining that data with numbers from a University of Queensland study that estimated there were close to 26,500 same-sex couples in Australia who would marry if given the chance.
AME national convenor Alex Greenwich said Tasmania could expect a similar windfall to those seen in states that had legalised same sex marriage in the United States.
“Should the Federal Government not act and Tasmania goes it alone becoming the first state in Australia with same-sex marriage, it can expect to benefit from a massive economic windfall similar to US states which have pioneered on this issue,鈥� Greenwich said.
“For example, New York State is predicted to gain a $1 billion injection from allowing same-sex marriages.
“Small business will benefit from the wedding spend of same-sex couples from across the nation and on top of that Tasmania will benefit from an increase in immigration from the highly-skilled creative class. Marriage equality costs nothing, benefits the economy, and creates jobs…what other piece of legislation would does that?”
Tasmanian Greens leader Nick McKim has pledged to bring legislation creating marriage equality under state law before the Tasmanian Parliament if the federal Parliament fails to act on the issue before year鈥檚 end.
Prominent figures from the wedding industry backed the move. Bride Tasmania editor Steve Mihalenko said legalising same-sex marriage would increase the number of couples marrying in Tasmania by 700 percent
“The impact would be spread across a wide and diverse range of small businesses from the obvious ones like celebrants, dress makers, florists and photographers through to accommodation, food and wine, gifts, advertising and travel,鈥� Mihalenko said, 鈥淭his is smart economics”
Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants past vice president Maxine Lowry also backed the move as did University of Tasmania economist Dr Bruce Felmingham.
鈥淭here are economic benefits that would flow by having Tasmania at the top of queue on same-sex marriages,鈥� Dr Felmingham said, 鈥淟ook at the gains made by the California economy from being the first cab off the rank in recognising same-sex marriages as legitimate.鈥�
for or against gay marriage no one can argue that the Tasmanian economy would not gain from becoming the first state. Andrew Sinclair Brisbane Civil Marriage Celebrant
[…] Marriage worth $ 136m to TassieSydney Star Observer… that 87 percent of Australian same-sex couples who would like to marry would marry in Tasmania if it was the first state to allow same-sex marriages, and that 60 percent of these would spend over $ 10000 on their Tasmanian wedding and honeymoon. …Tassie MPs set to vote for equal marriageSame SameLabor backs Greens motion on Tas marriage equalityBlazeall 158 news articles » […]
It seems anti-gay bigotry not only leads to obsession with same-sex marriage but very bad spelling as well.
Dear Diane,
when you stated “I am very simple” you hit the nail right on the head and need not bother saying anything else, we know all we need to know about you. I will pray for you and your simpleton friends.
Blessings
[…] Marriage worth $136m to Tassie – Sydney Star Observer […]
Dianne if you wish to spend your life in the hating, and believing a conspiracy of scientist and doctors are out to get you, along with the lesbian cows that make that milk you have in your tea, then I feel sorry for you.
No ammount of money can make same sex marriage right – it just turns marriage into a product for sale. I will never be for same sex marriage and I am not interested in the arguments – they are so boringingly selfish and hedonistic. Namely “Its all about me the person with same sex orieintation and what I want.”
Where is the care for the wider community and the future world in that. Same sex marraige is about what “I want” at the expense of both genders. Sorry I don’t buy it.
In the end same sex marraige may come but in my heart I will always be against it till the day I die.
I see same sex attraction as a cop out and that’s the truth – its much harder to love someone who is opposite to you and the opposite sex is opposite to you. The opportunity of marriage as it currently stands is that it brings together the strenghs of both genders that make up the human race to create a society that moves forward to raise the next generation apreciating the that the human race comprises both males and females.
I am opposed to same sex marraige because it extols one gender at the expense of the other. I am very simple in that regard and I am sure many people are just as simplistic as me.
Same sex attration is in my opinion evidence of arrested human development. It is evidence of a failure to achieve sexual maturity. Thats what I really think. I believe I am not alone in my thoughs on this one.
Marriage dollars could flow to Tassie! – this is just a chep grab for money – some things are not worth buying.
It was so nice to see Alex Greenwich ask a question on Q and A on Monday night, and to see Kristina Keneally argue with Jim Wallace for marriage equality for the GLBTI community. I think Jim Wallace just moved a million more Australians towards equality with his outburst against not just us, but the rest of the community such as single mothers and fathers.
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