Mercury (Hobart)

Fairness, freedom

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IT says on the tin that this is a free and fair country, and there’s something about the separation of church and state. I am neither gay nor religious, but it seems reasonable that any consenting adult can marry if they want. The church spent decades ignoring devastatin­g sex abuse perpetrate­d by its minions, yet it’s now getting hot under the collar about people who love each other being married.

We pay our secular elected representa­tives large amounts of money to do the difficult job of running the country. But faced with a relatively simple decision, with widespread popular support, they’ve gone to water. They want to waste $120 million of our money on an inevitably inconclusi­ve and divisive poll to appease the church, instead of doing what we pay them for and vote. Maybe, like people on welfare, they should be sent threatenin­g letters from the AFP to abide by the rules? Richard Upton Battery Point Psalm 143:8 GPO Box 334, Hobart, Tas 7001

mercuryedl­etter@themercury.com.au

(03) 6230 0711

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