Same-sex marriage: Education Minister hits out at ad linking Yes vote to sex education reforms

Canberra: Claims legalising same-sex marriage will lead to sweeping education reforms are “patently ridiculous”, Education Minister Simon Birmingham has said after the release of the first national TV ad from the No campaign.

The ad, shown on commercial TV last night, features four women opposed to same-sex marriage and focuses on concerns around the impact of same-sex marriage on children. “School taught my son he could wear a dress next year if he felt like it,” one says, while another claims year 7 students are being asked to role play being in a same-sex relationship. It was commissioned by the Coalition for Marriage group, which is led by the Australian Christian Lobby.

The ad has prompted Senator Birmingham, a moderate Liberal who supports same-sex marriage, to criticise misleading claims.

“It is patently ridiculous to suggest that allowing same-sex couples to marry is somehow going to see some new wave of teaching reform sweep across the country,” Senator Birmingham said.

“That’s just not going to happen. This is a simple issue, and it should not be conflated with other issues.”

The ad will continue to be broadcast until the vote takes place, and has sparked a debate about advertising restrictions for the Yes and No campaigns. The Federal government wants to strengthen advertising restrictions, but will wait until the result of a High Court challenge to the postal ballot.

The postal survey is not subject to the stringent rules of the Commonwealth Electoral Act, which prevents information that is deceptive or misleading from being distributed. That is because the Australian Bureau of Statistics in conducting the survey, and the laws currently apply to the Australian Electoral Commission. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said the provision of extra legal safeguards would not be introduced until after the High Court hearings on September 5 and 6.