Marriage equality supporters need to reject the proposed conscience vote to amend the Marriage Act.
At first glance, a conscience vote might look appealing. After all, shouldn鈥檛 politicians be put on the spot? Shouldn鈥檛 they be made to show whether or not they support equality?
Isn鈥檛 it better than nothing? Doesn鈥檛 it mean that Gillard is 鈥榙oing something鈥�?
I think it鈥檚 important to reject the idea that civil rights are a matter of conscience. Civil rights are just that 鈥� rights. They are not, and should not, be dependent on someone鈥檚 personal opinion. They are inalienable.
Marriage equality is a point of principle, not opinion. The ALP should therefore simply change the law. No ifs and no buts.
Those who run the party don鈥檛 want to do this. The conscience vote is a tactic enabling Gillard to wash her hands of this issue. It allows her to look like a democrat. Having called a vote she knows the bigots will win, she can turn around and say that Parliament has spoken.
The ALP should send a message that love is equal, that it doesn鈥檛 discriminate and neither should Parliament. All couples wanting to have their relationships recognised should have that right
Over the last seven years, we have been fighting long and hard against this ban. The thousands who have taken a stand in the streets, in workplaces, and in their homes have played a massive role in getting this issue on the agenda. They have helped shape public opinion, including the opinions of many politicians.
The discrimination in the Marriage Act should be something we look back on like all other pieces of discriminatory legislation throughout history 鈥� with great shame and pity.
Let it be something we look back on and be proud that we were a part of the fight.
The ALP has agreed to debate the issue of marriage equality in December in Sydney.
Equal Love encourages supporters of marriage equality from across Australia to help put pressure on the ALP and encourage delegates to argue and vote for the ALP to change the Marriage Act.
Next Melbourne rally: Wednesday, November 16, 12.30pm, 360 King St, Melbourne (Vic headquarters of federal ALP)
Sydney ALP National Conference rally: Saturday, December 3, noon, Hyde Park North
By ALI HOGG, Equal Love Victoria convenor.
Jack:-
Crossing the floor has indeed occurred. But think about this:
1. If we hope for Liberals to cross the floor, defying a block vote to follow their conscience, we’d also cop Labor people following the same principle in the opposite direction.
2. No conservatives have crossed the floor in this parliament.
3. Conservatives that did cross the floor under John Howard had, very early on, signalled their differences on a policy (think refugees). On same-sex marriage, no Liberal or National has called for same-sex marriage. That includes the so-called friend of the G&L community, Malcolm Turnbull – utterly contemptible!)
Now going back to the beginning, I was going to start my response to the Soapbox with the word “rubbish” but felt it too strong…
(Number 2 and 3 are facts, right Jack? As for the status of radiant whiteness being mist…well that is a theory…)
1)It can change the law and people may cross the floor
an u know wot Ben IT HAS HAPPENED?
2)a radiant whiteness
= mist and I rekon ur clutching at straws /splitting hairs to be picking on this point lol
What I’m saying very clearly is that your arguement has no facts and u blithely ignores everyone elses
Hence
‘Ben knows best’ NOT!
I mean dude, u don’t start a sentence with ‘tosh’ and xpect 2b taken seriously?!
Sorry, Jack, but Mount Olympus was not misty in the time of the Gods, described thus by Homer:
“Olympus was not shaken by winds nor ever wet with rain, nor did snow fall upon it, but the air is outspread clear and cloudless, and over it hovered a radiant whiteness”
@Jack
No Government can “simply change the law” without majority support.
It’s one thing when a wrong statement comes from a blogger – quite another when it comes from the head of a G&L advocacy group.
Your statements have never been rational or factual Ben.You gloss over any facts that I have suggested to you. And futhermore.
” ….鈥淭he ALP therefore should simply change the law鈥� is wrong, damages her organisation鈥檚 credibility and misleads supporters of same-sex marriage….” ARE OPINIONS NOT FACTS.
If your’e stuck on a conscience vote, fine, however there is more than one way to skin a cat as I have suggested with FACTUAL evidence of past victories.
LOL
But I have a feeling
Ben knows best. And we on this site should be so grateful that you deign to even write your pearls of wisdom as we mortals can only look thru the mists of mount Olympus to where you live.
@Connected
“Gillard strongly supports Gay marriage and has made sure that there is enough support for the conscience vote in December.”
For someone who claims?! to be close to the pulse of the nation you sure musn’t pick up a paper or listen to interviews.
LOL
THERE REALLY MUST BE 2 JULIA’S ?!
Or else your tripping or on very strong medication.
@Jack.
Right now, the vast majority of countries who are signatories to the UN Convention on Human Right, or have a Bill of Rights, do not have same-sex marriage.
My points are factual:
– The vast majority of gay and lesbian rights in Australia have resulted from conscience votes of the major parties.
– Regardless of a conscience or block vote, based on public comments by the Independents, the ALP cannot deliver same-sex marriage without support from some Liberals or Nationals.
And if the convenor of Vic Equal Love is going to publish, get some research done. The statement that “The ALP therefore should simply change the law” is wrong, damages her organisation’s credibility and misleads supporters of same-sex marriage.
Jack, your option to achieve reform (and CAPITALS doesn’t make it more convincing) is the United Nations. Mine is to start pressuring the Liberal party to also agree to a conscience vote – as suggested by the Liberal Premier in NSW.
Time will tell who is correct.
I agree with Ben.
As someone who is working within Parliament House and a gay man, it is very exciting to confidently know that this conscience is very likely to succeed and therefore constitutionalise the right to marriage equality.
I think there a lot of hardcore activists who feel that love and such will bully the rights into the constitution. Not the case.
Gillard strongly supports Gay marriage and has made sure that there is enough support for the conscience vote in December. the vote also has nothing to do with other parties, it is the ALP voting for a conclusive decision to pass the bill.
please understand that it is politics and that these people are there to help the country, yet need to help the country they need to stay in the majorities favourite. Hence a conscience vote where no rednecks can name and shame individual members of the party. I mean why must we ask for the people who are helping our cause to lay their head on a chopping block so there work can never be furthered?
@ben
‘Tosh 鈥� and contradictory, poorly researched, tosh at that.’
Jesus dude where do u get off with comments like that?
If you take a closer look at the article instead of using high handed rant you’d see a very important word…INALIENABLE. Australia is a signatory to the UN convention on human rights which includes LGBI rights. The author is 100% correct. The wording in the UN convention uses the term INALIENABLE rights.
Therefore these rights are not because a certain group is good ,bad or indifferent or we feel sorry?! for them They are HUMAN rights.They are a given.
And furthermore Tasmainia/Australia was taken to the UN and forced to decriminalize homosexuality. So not every piece of equality has come thru your precious conscience vote.
Recently Australia was also questioned by a multi-country UN panel about its continued lack of anti-discrimination protection and marriage discrimination toward the gay community.
And you gloss over the fact that there are many sunset clauses and exemptions that come with conscience votes . I am sure that I don’t need to remind you that Clover Moore’s gay adoption lobbying was successful with faith based adoption agencies being exempt from the act, in particular Anglicare.
The real problem here is that Australia has no bill of rights nor a rigourous anti- discrimination act.
If these were in place there would civil law suits against the whims and tyranny of the majority.
If there is not a lot of difference between the two major parties, it makes voting Greens all that much easier – and from where I sit, I see no major differences in the two parties gay stance. I’m with dave on this one. Paint me Greens.
I think the only math needed is the past two Labor Prime Ministers have advocated against full equality in the name of the Bible.
I mean how extrodinary a Carbon Tax gets the Prime Minister emotional, and she can pass that, but then goes on to advocate against equality.
Labor is a bloody mess.
Alex, congratulations on understanding the simple maths!
To repeat it – Labor on its own cannot deliver marriage – regardless of a conscience or block vote. Basic numeracy.
It escapes other bloggers who prefer to rave and rant – they actually prefer to be discriminated against because it allows them to wallow in victimhood.
Others of us want to achieve equality.
The history of gay and lesbian reform in NSW invariably has come from a conscience vote drawing support from people in both parties.
Alex I guess the Senate means nothing then….
At any time Labor can give full equality, include us in the Federal Equal Opportunity Act, rather then tell us to look up lessons in the Bible.
Dave, You can vote Green till the cows come home, but they only hold one seat and in all reality only have chances in 2 or 3 others across the country, so it’s about which major party you give your preference to.
I don’t think there is a solution at the present time.
The Liberals/ Nationals and Oakshott/Windsor will block it, regardless of what Labor Bandt,and Wilkie do.
Same Sex Marriage wont happen until the next time the ALP governs in it’s own right.
A good well written article!
Feral Labor can fuck off thanks!
I am just not with the idea of blaming Abbott, for the hate of Gillard, some are proposing. I mean this mob of Feral Labor politicians could not even include us in the Federal Equal Opportunity Act, let alone end discrimination in Marriage. But they did support the White Australia Policy for over 50 years.
I will continue voting Green, a party with no issue with my sexuality while Catholic Feral Labor conducts a mass.
You will have to just forgive me if I cannot accept an Atheist Prime Minister in a country like Australia, telling me to look up lessons in the Bible on issues of sexuality.
Tosh – and contradictory, poorly researched, tosh at that.
Your call for a binding vote on same-sex marriage was last seen in 2004 – when the infamous 2004 Marriage Act amendment went through, no conscience vote was allowed to the shame of both parties.
Gay and lesbian reform have been won through conscience votes:
– Decriminalisation of homosexuality;
– Equal age of consent
– Same sex adoption
Even a binding vote will fail to bring change. The ALP on its own does not have a majority and the independents (Oakshott included) have not supported same-sex marriage?
The solution?
Start pressuring the conservatives to also allow a conscience vote.
NSW Liberal Premier Barry O’Farrell supports it. What about the rest?