AUDIO; click here to hear Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus’ speech
AUDIO; click here to hear Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s speech
AUDIO; click here to hear Green’s Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt’s speech
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten led thousands of same-sex marriage supporters during a rally on Saturday in Melbourne’s CBD, protesting the Coalition’s refusal of a conscience vote.
ALP leader Bill Shorten said The Labour Party would legalise marriage equality within 100 days of office after winning the next election over the Coalition.
The rally followed Prime Minister Tony Abbotts’ decision last week to delay the vote for same-sex marriage equality until after the federal election.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has reportedly said he will allow for a constitutional referendum or a plebiscite but Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has said “a referendum would be a $150 million dollar tax payer funded opinion poll to tell us what we already know; we want marriage equality now”.
The Green’s and ALP opposition parties are united against Prime Minister Tony Abbott, announcing at the rally plans to persist pushing the marriage equality bill through parliament.
“We don’t need a plebiscite, we just need legislation, and if the Prime Minster won’t get out of the way and allow the legislation to pass then let’s push him out of the way,” said Greens MP Adam Bandt argued at Prime Minister Tony Abbott
“It should not be the case that people are treated as second class citizens merely because of who they love,” said Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.
A Fairfax/Ipsos poll released in August showed shows 69 percent of Australians support marriage equality, with 54 percent support amongst Coalition supporters.
Mr Bandt has said “This week the clergy for marriage equality came up and told us that 59 percent of Christians in this country want to see marriage equality happen”.
ALP Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said there was majority support in the parliament for a vote on a marriage equality bill which was blocked last week by Prime Minister Abbott and the Coalition.
“We saw last week just how hard this government will fight against this, just how hard Tony Abbott will personally fight to defend discrimination in our law,” said Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has said the bill has re-ignited debate within the Liberal Party about same-sex marriage.
“Abbott’s made himself the Prime Minister for prejudice and fear, this is about equality and it’s the right thing to do,” said Mr Bandt.
Saturday’s rally took place on the 11th anniversary since the Howard Government officially banned same-sex marriage and made changes to the marriage laws in Australia.
A government Census in 2011 found there were over 33,000 same-sex couples in Australia.
Australian Marriage Equality have said 54 percent of Australian same-sex couples would marry if they had the choice and 80 percent would support the choice to marry.
Other speakers at the pro same-sex marriage rally included Victoria Trades Hall Council Secretary Luke Hilikari, director of the film ‘Gayby Baby’ Maya Newell and Greens Leader Senator Di Natali.
The rally was organised by Equal Love Melbourne.
Several members of the Victorian Liberal Party declined to comment on the rally or the NLP stance on marriage equality.
AUDIO; click here to hear Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus’ speech
AUDIO; click here to hear Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s speech
AUDIO; click here to hear Green’s Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt’s speech
Photo Credit; Jedda Andrews Photography, http://mylittlecamera.tumblr.com
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