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News -
Australian News
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Written by Alex Greenwich
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Monday, 27 September 2010 01:14 |
 INTRODUCTION OF MARRIAGE EQUALITY BILL WELCOMED
GREENS HAVE CLEAR MANDATE TO PURSUE REFORM
Marriage equality advocates are welcoming the Green's introduction of their Marriage Equality Bill into Parliament this week. AME National Convener, Alex Greenwich, re-iterated the organisation's call for a conscience vote.
"We support a conscience vote on marriage equality because MPs should be free to represent the views of the 60% of Australians who support this reform", Mr Greenwich said.
"Sarah Hanson-Young's Bill is a simple and straight-forward solution to those discriminatory sections of the Marriage Act which ban same-sex partners from officially declaring their love".
"Surely members of the Federal Labour and Liberal Parties have more important things to do than stop same-sex partners committing to each other".
Mr Greenwich said the Greens have a clear mandate to pursue marriage equality.
"During the election campaign marriage equality was a key issue and contributed to a swing to the Greens, particularly in key inner-urban, marginal seats where there was a strong swing from Labor to the Greens."
"The electorate has given the Greens a clear mandate to pursue marriage equality"
This is the second time the Marriage Equality Bill has been introduced. In 2009, following a Senate inquiry into the Bill, it was voted down by both major parties. Neither major party allowed a conscience vote in 2009 and there were 26 Senators absent, who, had they attended, would have been forced to vote against the Bill. Mr Greenwich said, "we hope that this time Senators will be allowed to do more to show their support than just not attending the vote".
"Tens of thousands of loving Aussie couples and their families need the vote of every Senator who believes in equality".
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