Concerns raised over low response rate to Queensland MP’s same-sex marriage poll
Image: Flynn federal Nationals MP Ken O鈥橠owd counting the returned surveys (Supplied photo)
COUNTING聽is underway for聽responses to a survey that canvassed voters in a Queensland聽electorate on marriage equality, despite a small amount of returned answers.
Conducted by Flynn federal Nationals MP Ken O鈥橠owd in an effort to poll his electorate on support for marriage equality – as well as other issues including euthanasia and daylight saving – out of a total 95,000 surveys sent to constituents, only about 4000 responded.
[showads聽ad=MREC]In a statement released on Tuesday, O’Dowd said he would have preferred to hear greater feedback from the electorate, but he was happy people took the time to complete the survey which聽was also available online.
鈥淚 estimate that more than 4000 have been returned, which will make this the largest survey of this type conducted in this area,” O’Dowd said.
鈥淚 took every effort to promote the survey, distributing copies to shoppers at my local supermarket, talking to the local media, and using social media to direct attention to the surveys.鈥�
聽initially quoted O鈥橠owd as saying any unreturned survey meant he would “put those people down as they don’t care one way or the other” and that it聽would be treated as a “no” vote against same-sex marriage.
O’Dowd has since denied this, and the newspaper subsequently issued an apology.
“Surveys that weren’t returned cannot be counted and will not be counted as either a 鈥榶es鈥� or 鈥榥o鈥� vote,” O’Dowd said.
It was also initially reported that he聽was around 40,000聽returned surveys.
“I am a bit disappointed with the response,” O’Dowd told the Gladstone Observer.
“Maybe people didn’t want to give their details, but you think there would be more from 95,000 sent out.”
, also in Queensland, there have been criticisms of the way in O’Dowd’s poll was conducted.
Comments on social media state聽the Flynn survey was delivered with junk mail and poorly advertised, with others expressing concern about sharing their personal details.
On whether a response rate of approximately four per cent was an accurate representation of his electorate鈥檚 view on same-sex marriage, a spokesperson for O鈥橠owd said 4000 replies was a 鈥渧ery respectable showing鈥�.
鈥淭he most recent nation-wide survey to gauge attitudes towards same-sex marriage, undertaken by Crosby-Textor, involved phone polling 1000 randomly selected Australians,” the spokesperson told Star Observer.
鈥淭he Crosby-Textor survey shows growing support for same-sex marriage on a broad scale.
“Ken鈥檚 survey is to get a general indicator for his electorate, which is why we need to count these survey results before we can formally declare an opinion on the subject.鈥�
摆蝉丑辞飞补诲蝉听补诲=贵翱翱罢闭
The LNP are full of cunts!
Still debating this Australia? Wake up Australia! Equality is calling! It is just a small page of the Marriage Act 1961 – from “a man and a woman” to “two adult persons” and repealing section 88EA that bans foreign recognition of gay marriage .
Did we seriously expect a greater response? Did we really believe we Aussies aren’t anything other than the most pathetic, apathetic bunch alive? Sorry to say sometimes I think it’s a wonder we get anything done at all.
Again, are we really still debating this in 2015… Come on people do not let the Australian Christian Lobby, lobby for us! We LGBTI groups, individuals, couples and organisations really need to get to the Australian Parliament and do something about it!