Marriage equality advocates are disappointed that Malcolm Turnbull says there is community support for civil unions despite his own electorate saying it doesn’t want them.
During an address to the National Press Club today Mr Turnbull said
“I think there is broad support in the community for recognising civil unions for Australian couples of the same-sex and polls and research shows that.”
But Australian Marriage Equality National Convener, Alex Greenwich, said Mr Turnbull’s electorate survey on the issue showed 73% support for allowing same-sex marriage and only 17% for civil unions instead of same-sex marriage.
“Mr Turnbull’s own research shows overwhelming support for full marriage equality and hardly any support for civil unions, a result which is replicated in electorate polls by Teresa Gambaro and others”, Mr Greenwich said.
“Civil unions may look like an attractive political expedient for some MPs but they will entrench a second-class status for same-sex relationships and will not lessen the need or the demand for full equality.”
Mr Greenwich pointed out that only 27% of same-sex marriage opponents in Ms Gambaro’s electorate could support civil unions showing compromise will please neither side.
Mr Turnbull told the National Press Club that “intensity” of views on the issue of marriage equality is as important as number of views.
But Mr Greenwich said majority support for marriage equality in the Australian community should be the key consideration for law makers.
“It is the responsibility of people like Mr Turnbull to explain to religious opponents of same-sex marriage in his electorate that churches will not have to marry same-sex couples against their will.”
“In my experience, once people of faith understand this basic fact their concerns dissipate.”
The results in Mr Turnbull’s electorate of Wentworth can be found here
https://www.australianmarriageequality.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Wentworth-marriage-equality-results.pdf
In Teresa Gambaro’s electorate of Brisbane 73% of respondents support same-sex marriage, while only 27% of those opposed to marriage equality said they could support civil unions.
http://teresagambaro.com/2011/07/same-sex-marraige-survey-results/
For more information contact Alex Greenwich on 0421 316 335.
To fill out other MP surveys, click here.
GRAPH FROM MALCOLM TURNBULL’S SURVEY:
