Media Release: Tasmanian Gay & Lesbian Rights Group
Thursday February 23rd, 2012
An American academic who has advised the New York and Californian governments on the economic benefits of allowing same-sex marriage today launched a report predicting Tasmania will reap almost $100 million if it is the first state to move on the issue.
Professor Lee Badgett, who is an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts and Director of the Williams Institute at UCLA, is in Tasmania to present political and business leaders, including Premier Lara Giddings, with a study into the economic impact of same-sex marriage in Tasmania.
Professor Badgett said,
“Should Tasmania become the “first mover” in allowing same-sex couples to marry, it will capture a large share of the Australian same-sex wedding market, as much as $96 million.”
“This is a conservative figure based on low estimates of the numbers of same-sex couples and their wedding spend, and it also doesn’t include the flow-on for tourism.”
“But even as a lower-end figure, $96 million is still significant, especially because it will mostly benefit the small business sector which is critical to the health of the Tasmanian economy.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, welcomed the report.
“Professor Badgett’s report shows why allowing same-sex marriage will benefit all Tasmanians, not just gay people and our families”, Mr Croome said.
“Should the federal parliament fail to enact marriage equality later this year, the Badgett report is a compelling reason for Tassie to go it alone.”
“If we don’t reap the equality dividend, another state or territory is sure to.”
Yesterday, Prof Badgett met Premier, Lara Giddings, Tourism Minister, Scott Bacon, and Liberal Party representative, Elise Archer.
While in Hobart she has also met representatives of the Small Business Council and the Tourism Council.
Prof Badgett’s estimates of the economic impact of marriage equality in US states such as Massachusetts, New York, Maine and California have played a crucial role in the marriage equality debate in those states.
She has also researched the positive impacts of marriage equality on same-sex couples, their families and their children, finding that marriage fosters greater commitment between same-sex partners, acceptance within their families and security and stability for their children. Her results are published in “When gay people get married: what happens when societies legalize same-sex marriage”.
On the basis of advice from constitutional experts such as Professor George Williams, Greens’ Leader, Nick McKim has thrice introduced state same-sex marriage laws.
Until now the State Labor Government has opposed them for constitutional reasons but the Tasmanian State Labor conference has twice endorsed marriage equality with the Labor national conference doing the same in December last year.
Same-sex marriage laws have recently been introduced in South Australia and have been flagged in other states.
For a factsheet on Prof Badget’s research, click here.
For the economic impact of marriage equality in Australia generally and Tasmania specifically, click here.
Low-res photos of Prof Badgett meeting Premier Lara Giddings and of Prof Badgett after handing Tasmanian Greens Leader, Nick McKim, a copy of her report are attached below. High-res photos are available.
For more information and interviews with Prof Badgett contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.
