Brisbane LNP MP Teresa Gambaro has come out in support of marriage equality, saying she would lobby Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to allow a conscience vote.
Ms Gambaro, who holds the marginal seat of Brisbane for the LNP with a margin of 1.1 per cent, announced her switch position at Thursday night’s House of Power candidates forum at the Brisbane Powerhouse.
Ms Gambaro said she had become infuriated with the issue being a political football.
“Should I be honoured by the people of Brisbane and re-elected to this seat, my conscience vote will be in favor of same-sex marriage, ” she said.
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Ms Gambaro said she had spoken to Mr Abbott about the need for a conscience vote.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has promised to bring legislation to federal parliament within 100 days to allow a conscience vote on same-sex marriage.
Teresa Gambaro told the Brisbane forum at the House of Power event that she now supports marriage equality.
Ms Gambaro said any decision to cross the floor of Federal Parliament would be made after the issue was discussed in the LNP party room after the election.
“We need to see what our party room decides in the next parliament,” she said.
“That is a decision that needs to be taken to our next party room.”
Ms Gambaro said when she polled the electorate in 2010 on same sex marriage only 0.7 per cent of the electorate was in favour of marriage equality.
She said a discussion with an Ashgrove mother at her information booth had changed her mind.
“I guess that was the crystallizing moment,” she told Fairfax Media.
“But I guess it has been a long journey.
“Should it be taken to the party room I would advocate for a conscience vote and I would be supportive of gay marriage.”
Ms Gambaro said her changing attitude was shaped by the large number of young voters coming to the Brisbane electorate each month.
The electorate of Brisbane has the youngest demographic of any electorate in Australia.
“In fact, 1000 to 2000 young people move into my electorate every month,” she said.
However she said that was not the reason for her change.
“No it was more of a personal journey.”
Ms Gambaro said she had voted on conscience votes on euthanasia and the RU 486 issue in the past.
Ms Gambaro’s change of heart came just days after a large rally in her electorate in support of marriage equality.
Photo: Renee Melides
Author: Tony Moore
Publication: Brisbane Times
22 August 2013