Inquiry aims to cut anti-gay hate speech
LABOR will establish a Senate inquiry in an attempt to stop hate speech during the run-in to the same-sex marriage vote.
It will also look at vote fraud and bribery during the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.
Opponents who are taking the matter to the High Court say the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not have the constitutional power to conduct a national ballot and the government has over-reached in terms of funding it without specific legislation.
The man in charge of the ABS, Small Business Minister Michael McCormack, has come under fire for his views on homosexuals.
While a journalist on the Wagga Wagga Daily Advertiser in 1993, Mr McCormack wrote a column lamenting the “sordid behaviour” of homosexuals.
“A week never goes by any more that homosexuals and their sordid behaviour don’t become further entrenched in society,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, gays are here and, if the disease their unnatural acts helped spread doesn’t wipe out humanity, they’re here to stay.”
A spokesman for Mr McCormack told news.com.au: “The minister apologised for the comments at the time.”
Christine Forster, sister of former prime minister Tony Abbott, labelled the comments abhorrent: “You’d have to say homophobic.”
Ms Forster, who is campaigning for the Yes vote, also criticised her brother, saying his comments about same-sex marriage were hurtful.
Mr Abbott, stridently against same-sex marriage, said earlier this week, “If you’re worried about religious freedom and freedom of speech, vote No, and if you don’t like political correctness, vote No because voting No will help to stop political correctness in its tracks.”
Ms Foster said, “This is not about political correctness. This is about basic rights before the law. It’s about fairness. It’s about equality. It’s about respect. It’s about inclusion.”