Marraige equality advocates have dismissed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s offer to hold a referendum into marriage equality if Tony Abbott refuses to allow Coalition members a conscience vote on the issue.
They say any public vote could be used by reform opponents to whip up a fear campaign.
Mr Rudd was once an opponent of marriage equality, but after what he calls a “difficult personal journey”, he announced in May that had switched his position.
Already this year, Labor MPs have been allowed to vote with their conscience on questions of marriage equality.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has refused to allow members of the Coalition to do the same, and today, Mr Rudd called on Mr Abbott to change his position.
“Whoever wins the next election, please, let’s just have the civility to open this to a conscience vote for all,” Mr Rudd said.
“I’ve indicated publicly where I will go on this, and if he doesn’t, then I think we then have to look at other mechanisms including the possibility of recourses to plebiscite or referendum.”
Referendum would become ‘platform for fear-mongering’
Marriage equality advocates are thrilled the Mr Rudd has spoken about the issue in his first major media event, but do not support his call for a public vote.
Rodney Croome, the national convenor of Australian Marriage equality, said a process of a referendum would be “unnecessarily expensive”.
He also said while he believed the majority of Australians would vote for marriage equality, he was concerned was about the process.
“We have consistently opposed a national plebiscite or referendum on marriage equality for a number of reasons,” Mr Croome said.
“It could potentially be deeply polarising, becoming a platform for fear-mongering against the gay and lesbian community, and we think that our politicians are elected to make these kinds of decisions, rather than hand-balling them back to the voters.
“It could be quite destructive… particularly for young, same-sex attracted people coming to terms with their sexuality.
“They don’t need to see the kind of fear and hate campaigns that I feel would inevitably come out during a referendum.”
Mr Croome says overseas examples, including New Zealand and Britain, have shown that the best way forward is the establishment of a cross-party working group on the issue.
But the spokeswoman for the Australian Greens, Sarah Hanson-Young, says the time for talking is over.
“We could make this happen right here on the Parliament floor, but they have to send it to a referendum,” Ms Hanson-Young said.
“I think it is the Labor Party policy and we have the leader of the Labor Party now saying he’s a supporter of marriage equality.
“The sad thing about the last three years that if Labor members had voted for marriage equality together with the Greens, we would already have it here in Australia.
“So this idea of pushing it off to a referendum is really squibbing the leadership on marriage equality.”
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has said he would allow the party room to reconsider the question of same-sex marriage when it convenes after the next election.
Audio: Rudd considers marriage equality referendum
Author: Ashley Hall
Publication: ABC News
Date: 28 June 2013
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-28/rudd-considers-gay-marriage-referendum/4788740