The national marriage equality campaign is backing Kevin Rudd to take over the prime ministership, arguing that having a leader in favour of gay marriage is the missing element necessary for change to occur.
On the day that Julia Gillard launched Labor’s Women for Gillard campaign, arguing that women would “once again (be) banished from the centre of Australia’s political life” under a government led by Tony Abbott, gay activists declared she was not the right leader for the times.
Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome said the gay rights movement wanted a return of Kevin Rudd because of his recent declaration supporting marriage equality.
The movement fears the Prime Minister’s polling is so low that many MPs who are for gay marriage would lose their seats, making change even harder to achieve if she remains leader.
“Having a Labor leader who supports marriage equality will also increase pressure on the Coalition to adopt a more supportive position, particularly a conscience vote,” Mr Croome said.
He said a crucial element in the achievement of marriage equality in countries such as New Zealand and France, and soon in Britain, had been support from the head of government. “As a supporter of marriage equality, Kevin Rudd has the potential to provide the kind of leadership on this reform which has been missing in Australia up until now,” Mr Croome said.
“If the polls are correct, Rudd’s leadership of the Labor Party will also mean many MPs who support marriage equality will keep their seats.”
Mr Croome said Labor would benefit from a leader who supported gay marriage, “just as the US Democrats benefited when (Barack) Obama came out for marriage equality”.
Mr Rudd now supports the secular state’s recognition of same sex-marriage, while arguing that religious institutions should be legally allowed an exemption maintaining their historic position that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman.
Mr Rudd joined Ms Gillard in a parliamentary conscience vote last September that defeated a proposal to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, by 98 votes to 42.
Detailing the turnabout on his blog website, Mr Rudd, an Anglican, said homosexuality was not abnormal and the interpretation of scriptures had evolved.
In supporting equality for gay and lesbian couples, the former Labor leader said comprehensive scientific surveys of children raised in same-sex relationships had shown “no child-behaviour checklist differences” and same-sex families “do not compromise children’s development”.
Mr Rudd has dismissed criticism from Liberal senator George Brandis that he had adopted a position opposite to Ms Gillard’s because of his political ambitions.
The Opposition Leader said Mr Rudd was entitled to change his mind, but he would not soften his own opposition to gay marriage.
Ms Gillard, setting aside her opposition to same-sex marriage, used Mr Rudd’s shift to attack Mr Abbott, saying a parliamentary vote would have a greater chance of success if the Coalition leader allowed his side a conscience vote.
Author: Patricia Karvelis
Publication: The Australian
Date: 12 June 2013