NSW to rally to marry this Saturday
With its timing so close to the state election, GLBTI rights activists behind Saturday鈥檚 rally for marriage rights hope it sends a message to politicians at all levels that the job on equality for all Australians is yet to be completed.
The rally comes as Nielsen polling shows that supporters of same-sex marriage remain in the majority while opposition has dipped slightly over the last year.
Forty-four percent of Coalition voters, 65 percent of Labor voters, 81 percent of Greens and 57 percent of independent voters supported same sex marriage.
And in a surprise result, 59 percent of 27 Family First voters who took part in the survey supported marriage equality.
Australian Marriage Equality national convenor Alex Greenwich said the results showed broad support for same-sex marriage across Australia and among voters for all political parties.
鈥淭he key thing we can all do this year is take action,鈥� Greenwich said. 鈥淲e have to continue the momentum we鈥檝e been building. The rally on Saturday is an opportunity for people to come out, make themselves visible and show their support for marriage equality.鈥�
Community Action Against Homophobia co-convenor Cat Rose said the rally would be an opportunity to send a message to state politicians as well as federal parliamentarians.
鈥淪tate elections provide a reminder that Julia Gillard is not the only person who could be doing something. A growing number of politicians are declaring their support for the issue, and we want to say it鈥檚 time we had some action.鈥�
She said a Liberals decision to put the Christian Democrats second on how-to-vote cards for the Legislative Council made a mockery of recent attempts by the party to court the pink vote.
鈥淎t the moment neither of the major parties is prepared to grant equality, and while that鈥檚 the case, gay-friendly gestures are a bit hollow and meaningless.鈥�
info: Rally for marriage equality, Saturday, March 19, 1pm, Sydney Town Hall.
The Liberal Party does not have a pro-gay marriage equality policy. So gay voters must have rocks in their heads in they vote for Adrian Bartels, Liberal Party candidate for the Seat of Sydney or Bruce Notley-Smith, Coogee candidate, next Saturday after reading in recent media* the Liberal Party is giving their preferences to Rev Fred Nile and his gospel of homophobic hate.
Jake McPherson
43 Elizabeth Bay Road
Elizabeth Bay NSW 2011
* O’Farrell behind preferences flowing to Nile
Sean Nicholls. Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, N.S.W.: Mar 15, 2011. pg. 4
THE state Opposition Leader, Barry O’Farrell, has been forced to defend the Liberal Party’s decision to direct preferences to the Christian Democratic Party in the upper house only a week after ruling out preferencing former One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, because of her policies.
As flagged by Mr O’Farrell on Friday, pre-poll electoral material prepared by the Liberals instructs voters to direct preferences to key independents in the lower house.
But it also directs voters to place the Christian Democratic Party as its second preference on the upper house ballot.
The Christian Democratic Party, led by its upper house MP, Fred Nile, is standing on a platform of “No Islamisation of Australia”.
The decision by the Liberals increases the likelihood that the CDP’s lead upper house candidate, Paul Green, will be elected.
Labor’s campaign spokesman, Luke Foley, said Mr O’Farrell “would do a deal with just about anyone to win control of the Parliament”.
Mr O’Farrell said it was “a party decision”.
Credit: Sean Nicholls STATE POLITICAL EDITOR
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