Marriage equality advocates have welcomed support for the issue from former Labor Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, saying it reflects strong support for marriage equality among Labor Party members and voters.
Yesterday, Mr Hawke became the first Australian Prime Minister to publicly support marriage equality during a joint interview with another former PM, John Howard.
Australian Marriage Equality national convener, Rodney Croome, said,
“The majority of Labor members and voters who support marriage equality have found a voice and a champion in Bob Hawke.”
“His unequivocal support for marriage equality will deepen disappointment over our current Labor Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, who inexplicably continues to oppose equality.”
Mr Hawke was Prime Minister from 1983 to 1991 and led Labor to an unprecedented four national election victories.
In yesterday’s interview Mr Hawke told interviewer, Ray Martin,
“I’m very much in favour of the law being changed to enable marriage between gay people. I feel very deeply on all issues of discrimination, and in this area of sexual discrimination it just needs to be said straight-forwardly – you can be born with curly hair, you can be born with this gene-disposition towards homosexuality. If a person is that way and they want to have the rights of the institutions of our society, they should have them.”
A Galaxy poll commissioned by Australian Marriage Equality in August 2012 found that 73% of Labor voters supported marriage equality (link here).
For a further report click here.
For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.