Close to 30 MPs had reported to federal parliament their constituents’ views on gay marriage as Crikey hit deadline, as they agreed to do under a Greens motion last November.
A majority, in fact, insisted voters were either opposed or didn’t rate the issue important enough. Others like Anthony Albanese — the only Labor front-bencher to rise — used their five minutes to speak around the issue without making a stance or revealing what constituents may have said. Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott said nothing.
But the public has already spoken. At length. Ad nauseam.
- Polls on the websites of three Liberal MPs (no longer online) showed strong support for gay marriage: Malcolm Turnbull’s website recorded 68% support, Brisbane MP Teresa Gambaro found 73% support and Julie Bishop’s poll was running as high as 80% support.
- Labor minister Tanya Plibersek said 2000 submissions to her office found support running at 80%.
- An Essential Media poll in March of this year found 49% of respondents supported gay marriage, 40% were against and 10% didn’t know.
- A Westpoll survey of 400 WA voters in December found 61% were in favour of gay marriage.
- A June Galaxy poll, commissioned by Australian Marriage Equality, found 75% of respondents agreed same-s-x marriage was inevitable.
- A Nielsen poll from November of last year found 57% of Australians supported legalising gay marriage
- A Roy Morgan poll this month for the TV show Can of Worms recorded 68% support for gay couples being allowed to marry.
- More Galaxy polling from this month found majority support for gay marriage (53%) among respondents who identified as Christian.
- A fascinating August 2010 poll by news.com.au that involved polling each electorate and contrasting the results with each local MP’s stance found that 46% overall supported gay marriage, 35% said it was between a man and a woman and 19% didn’t care.
Adam Bandt, the Greens MP who moved the original motion, today said political leaders were “out of step with mainstream public opinion”. Today’s session of parliament proved it.
Of course gay marriage should be legalised. Why on earth do we straight people think we have the right to sit in judgement on a matter which does not affect us directly? It is like all the other contentious issues in this country – everyone wants to tell other people what to do with their lives.
ALL the politicians are a disgrace. They should represent the views of their constituents – not their own biased version of events!
Does this mean we’re about to experience a first by both major (gutless) parties ie: actually ignoring polls?!! Cripes, break out the Champagne, they don’t care about polls.
Not that I’m against same-sex marriage – just against marriage.
Zut – it appears that the sole consideration for policy with either Labor or Coalition is how it will go over in Western Sydney, that heartland of Alan Jones and the Daily Telegraph. To hell with what the rest of us think…
Yet another reason to vote Green.
Since when are my human rights a matter for popular opinion?
Screw the gutless politicians – someone needs to take this to the High Court, or better yet some sort of international tribunal, like the Franklin Dam.
The pollies also ignore their electors over euthanasia and prolly also capital punishment.