The Australian Marriage Equality lobby group will this week launch a website dedicated to exposing the position of every candidate in the election to give people a guide on “how to vote for marriage equality”.
The strategy — to be funded partly by the corporate sector and through donations — will mark the first time the gay lobby has promoted Coalition candidates and places direct pressure on ALP MPs who are not in favour of gay marriage.
The organisation’s national director, Rodney Croome, said that because marriage equality would rely on a conscience vote, AME’s focus was on candidates rather than parties.
“Our focus will also be on young voters because they are, in general, the most passionate supporters of this reform and are the most likely to take that support into the ballot box,” Mr Croome said.
“Later this week we will disclose the positions of all election candidates when we launch a website dedicated to how to vote for marriage equality.”
He said the gay marriage campaign would begin leafleting in key inner-urban electorates where support for marriage equality was strong.
“This includes Brisbane, Perth, Kooyong, Sturt, Wills, North Sydney and Melbourne Ports,” Mr Croome said. “As well as reminding voters which candidates support marriage equality, our leaflets will explain how marriage equality benefits the community, and profile local gay and straight couples who support reform.
“More Australians than ever want to vote for marriage equality and the point of our election campaign is to show them how.”
Tony Abbott recently doused expectations of a change on same-sex marriage in the next parliament, predicting that a significant majority of Coalition MPs would share his strong opposition to gay marriage. The Opposition Leader dismissed reports that he would facilitate a conscience vote in the Coalition party room after the September election, saying he did not see “much enthusiasm” to revisit the issue.
Kevin Rudd has declared he will consider a plebiscite or referendum on the issue if Mr Abbott fails to grant his MPs a free vote to resolve the issue.
Mr Rudd has sought to make his personal conversion to supporting same sex marriage a central election issue and pitch to young voters, proudly declaring that he was Australia’s first marriage-equality prime minister and was committed to marriage law reform. But the idea has been denounced by marriage-equality campaigners, who are concerned about such a national vote.
Mr Croome said AME had received donations to boost their campaign. “I can’t disclose how much . . . but I’m confident marriage equality supporters will have what they need to make an informed choice,” he said.
Author: Patricia Karvelas
Publication: The Australian
Date: 6 August 2013