Marriage equality advocates say they intend to hold Will Hodgman to his commitment to allow an unqualified free vote on same-sex marriage so Tasmania can lead the nation on the reform.
Australian Marriage Equality national director, Rodney Croome, said,
“The dream many Tasmanians have of leading the nation on marriage equality remains alive with Will Hodgman committing to a free vote on the issue and with more Liberal candidates than ever before expressing support for the reform prior to the election.”
“In his election night speech Mr Hodgman said his government will ‘improve the lives of all Tasmanians’ and will ‘keep our promises no matter how challenging’, and we intend to hold him to these commitments.”
“Support for marriage equality across all three parties will send a clear message to the Legislative Council that it should no longer obstruct the reform.”
“Far from spelling the end of the marriage equality debate in Tasmania, Will Hodgman’s election is the start of a new and promising phase of that debate.”
During the election Mr Hodgman promised an unqualified free vote on state same-sex marriage law.
Five Liberal candidates openly supported a state same-sex marriage law with two more declaring in-principle support for allowing same-sex couples to marry.
High profile opponent of marriage equality, Michael Ferguson, was the only Liberal to have a swing against him, the National Party’s highest profile marriage equality supporter, Ken Dorsey, received that party’s highest vote, and the only party fully against marriage equality, the Australian Christians, received less than 1% of the vote.
In last night’s victory speech Mr Hodgman said,
“We will be a government that seeks to improve the lives of all Tasmanians. We will be a government that wants to change things and that will change things for the better.”
“We will keep our promises, we intend to deliver on all those things that we have committed to Tasmanians, no matter how challenging, and no matter how confronting they are.”
For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.
Author: Rodney Croome
Publication: AME Media Release
Date: 16 March 2014