Marriage equality advocates have renewed their calls for Tony Abbott to allow a conscience vote for Coalition MPs on marriage equality after the Opposition leader said “no-one should be told what to do” when Liberal Party branches and pre-selectors vote on election candidates.
Australian Marriage Equality national director, Rodney Croome, said,
“It would be a double standard for Tony Abbott to tell Liberal Party pre-selectors they are free to vote according to their conscience but not allow Liberal party MPs the same freedom”, Mr Croome said.
“My hope is that Mr Abbott will see the inconsistency and go to the next election with a policy in favour of a marriage equality conscience vote.”
Responding to a recent ruction in the ACT Liberal Party about the pre-selection of sitting Senator, Gary Humphries, Mr Abbott told the Canberra Times,
”I hope every single one of those preselectors will give it his or her honest, conscientious attention and will make the decision that he or she thinks is best for our party and our country. No one should be told what to do. No one should be dragooned into voting for one or other candidate simply because some boss says you’ve got to go this way.”
Liberal MPs are forced to vote en bloc against marriage equality, despite the Liberal Party’s proud tradition of allowing conscience votes on most issues, and despite the Labor Party allowing a conscience vote on this issue.
According to a Galaxy research poll released in May last year 77% of Coalition voters support a conscience vote and believe it would be “a smart move” for Tony Abbott to allow one.
“We urge Mr Abbott to abide by the Liberal Party principle of individual freedom, and follow the lead of Conservative UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, by allowing a conscience vote on marriage equality”, Mr Croome said.
The Canberra Times report can be found here:
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbott-rules-out-preselection-dirty-tricks-20130213-2edof.html
The Galaxy poll can be found here:
https://www.australianmarriageequality.org/2012/05/20/poll-shows-marriage-equality-free-vote-is-a-smart-move-for-abbott/
For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.