Small jump in marriage support
Same-sex marriage support has climbed four per cent in the latest Essential Research poll.
Four polls taken since July 2011 have seen support plateau at 54 per cent in favour of marriage equality, however the poll taken last weekend saw it rise slightly to 58 per cent.
Those most in favour of same sex marriage continue to be Greens supporters at 91 per cent, followed by Labor voters at 66 per cent and then Coalition supporters at 49 per cent.
The poll also showed a majority of people supported a referendum on marriage equality with 53 per in favour to 36 per cent opposed, despite calls from marriage equality advocates to oppose the idea.
Among those who supported a referendum on the issue, 68 per cent said same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.
Of those who approved of marriage equality, just 22 per cent opposed a referendum on the issue.
Just one third of people who opposed same-sex marriage approved of a referendum.
The online survey attracted 1,064 people who were polled over May 2-5.
Last August, a Galaxy poll found 64 per cent of Australians supported allowing same-sex couples to marry, up from 62 per cent polled in February that year.
The Australian Greens said the Essential poll showed that the majority of people, regardless of which party they vote for, think the time for marriage equality has arrived.
鈥淛ulia Gillard and Tony Abbott are looking increasingly ridiculous and isolated as they remain stubbornly out-of-touch with their views on marriage equality,鈥� Greens LGBTI spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
鈥淲e have known for a long time that the majority of Australians support marriage equality, but now we know that the majority of Greens, Labor and Coalition voters all support this essential reform.
鈥淎ustralian politicians work for the Australian people, not factional bully boys or vested interest groups, but it鈥檚 clear the leaders of the old parties have forgotten that when it comes to marriage equality.鈥�
Hanson-Young said Abbott needed to grant Coalition members a conscience vote on this issue so that Australia can join New Zealand, the UK, Canada and many other countries as a 鈥渃hampion of equality鈥�.
