Australia kicks off weeks-long same-sex marriage vote
SYDNEY: A contentious postal survey on same-sex marriage kicked off in Australia yesterday, with ballots delivered across the vast continent ahead of an expected fractious campaign between the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ sides.
While there has been growing support for marriage equality, with 70 per cent of those surveyed in a new Fairfax Media poll yesterday backing the ‘yes’ campaign, Australia has not yet legalised such unions despite more than a decade of political wrangling.
The conservative government chose an unusual approach — a voluntary and non-binding postal vote — after an election promise of a national plebiscite was knocked back twice by the upper house Senate.
“I encourage everyone to fill in the survey and return it. I’ll be voting ‘yes’ as will (my wife) Lucy,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told commercial radio this week.
Turnbull, a moderate, is opposed by some members of his conservative ruling Liberal-National coalition on legalising gay marriage, with the postal vote seen as a compromise.
The start of the ballot process followed rallies on the weekend for and against changing marriage laws, with thousands of people dressed in rainbow colours packing central Sydney on Sunday to back the ‘yes’ vote.
Hundreds of “no” campaigners marched on Saturday, arguing that changes would infringe on religious freedom and children’s rights.
Up to 15 million Australians will be asked: “Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?” on the ballot paper and given the option of marking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ boxes.
But “yes” campaigners have warned the method of collecting votes, via the postal system, could be less effective at engaging younger tech-savvy Australians, who are seen as more supportive of changing the laws.