Lobbying and the election

Last week I spent two days in parliament house with national PFLAG spokesperson, Shelley Argent, and AME deputy director, Ivan Hinton, intensively lobbying federal members.

We found support for a Coalition conscience vote is rapidly increasingly, and there are more Liberal and Labor MPs likely to come out for marriage equality before the election.

This is because of a combination of factors: the achievement of equality in New Zealand, pressure from AME for MPs to declare their position before the election, and public declarations of support from Kevin Rudd, Kelly O’Dwyer, Wyatt Roy and Michael Danby.

Given the success AME has had so far in encouraging members to declare support, we will now boost our pre-election campaign by letterboxing in key electorates. The results of our election survey will be published soon.

It was disappointing the move from Adam Bandt for a marriage equality vote was squashed by the major parties.

Even MPs who strongly support reform bent under the weight of pre-election politics. The last hope for progress before the election lies in Sarah Hanson-Young’s bill recognising overseas same-sex marriages.

AME has launched a petition which you can sign here.

People of faith

In Canberra I spoke to a meeting of the national union of Jewish students.

The next night I spoke at a forum in Melbourne where US Bishop, Gene Robinson, was the star attraction.

It was attended by many practising Christians. These meetings showed me how rapidly many people of faith are evolving.

At both meetings people previously opposed to marriage equality spoke to me about how the issue has made them question and renew their religious values.

Kevin Rudd’s conversion to equality speaks to a wider shift in Australian religious communities.

Parenting

Religious groups have dropped the Bible altogether from their anti-equality advocacy and focus instead on children, with offensive comments about “another stolen generation”.

I outlined my thoughts on this in a recent article in the Australian, arguing that the link between marriage and children is not “biological parents” but a stable home life, which can be provided just as well by same-sex couples.

But the most compelling argument is an empirical one.

The recently-released Australian study showing the children of same-sex couples may be better off than their peers is a game changer in the marriage equality debate.
Read the Australian artilce here.

Grass roots action

Almost every week there are reports of locally-initiated, grass roots marriage equality events across Australia.

In the last couple of weeks we have seen a family fun day in Mt Isa, a public assembly in Manly, a protest in Fremantle, and a protest in Wynyard.

When the Coalition does allow a conscience vote, it will be this kind of grass roots organising that wins the day because it puts pressure on individual MPs at a local level.

Equality dinner

The Equality Dinner is one of AME’s major fundraisers for the year.

This year’s was an intimate affair, but as successful as ever.

Thanks to everyone who helped make it a success, including DOV restaurant, Olivia Newton-John, Spencer McClaren and Geoff Field. Special thanks to Sarah Hanson-Young for drawing the raffle prize so entertainingly. You have missed her calling as a game show host.

Rodney Croome
AME National Director