The Australian Labor Party has renewed its commitment to opposing a referendum that seeks to put a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage – despite voting for a motion that would have set up a Senate inquiry for that yesterday.
Australia’s Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has reiterated his party’s opposition to holding a referendum on whether to ban same-sex marriage in the Australian Constitution despite his party’s senators voting for a motion to form a Senate inquiry into doing just that yesterday.
Senators from the Opposition Australian Labor Party voted in favor of a motion put forward by Democratic Labour Party Senator John Madigan to create a Senate inquiry on the issue – which if passed would have been the first step towards setting up a referendum.
Madigan’s inquiry would have investigated the best wording for ‘a referendum on an amendment to the Constitution confirming that all powers pertaining to making laws for marriage rest with the Commonwealth and that those powers may only be used to confirm marriage to be the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.’
Labor Senators voted for the motion as a block despite their own party platform supporting marriage equality but the Australian Government and Greens voted against the motion and it was defeated.
Dreyfus told GSN that his party had only voted for the motion for reasons of parliamentary process and reaffirmed his party’s opposition to efforts to ban same-sex marriage in the constitution,
‘As a matter of Senate practice, while in Opposition Labor supports non-government referrals to Senate Committees,’ Dreyfus told GSN.
‘Supporting the use of Senate processes by non-government Senators does not indicate support by Labor for the policy in that referral.
‘I want to make it absolutely clear that Labor does not support any measures to investigate or develop a referendum for amendment of the Constitution in relation to marriage laws. Labor opposes a referendum on same sex marriage.’
Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome welcomed having all of the largest factions in the Australian Parliament now opposed to a referendum on the issue.
‘We are pleased Labor has clarified that it is opposed to a marriage equality referendum,’ Croome told GSN.
‘There is now clear tri-partite opposition to such a referendum, effectively killing it as an issue. I urge opponents of marriage equality to stop pursuing this political dead end and focus back on the key issue confronting the nation – allowing same-sex couples to marry.’
Author: Andrew Potts
Publication: Gay Star News
Date: 10 December 2013
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