Comments on: Australian legislature votes down equality

By: Timothy Kincaid

Timothy Kincaid — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 18:59:09 +0000

Thanks Steve. Amended.

By: Steve from Down Under

Steve from Down Under — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 08:59:55 +0000

As an avid follower of Australain politics I greatly enjoyed the outsiders perspective of our parliament.

In the final paragraph you mention the opposition leader in the senate having a lesbian sister. To my knowledge it is the Opposition leader in the house of Reps (similar to the Congress minority leader) who has a lesbian sister rather than the opposition leader of the senate.

Australia is also interesting in that the Federal Governement and the State governments have concurrent powers on marriage. Because the federal law deals only with marriage between a man and a woman several state governments will soon attempt to pass marriage laws that deal only with same sex marriage. Unlike the federal vote both sodes of politics have allowed their members to have a conscious vote.

Given current numbers only some of these states are expected to achieve marriage equality. The most populous state, New South Wales, looks like it may get the numbers to pass it. The NSW parliament has already passed laws granting same sex adoptions and passed a motion of support for marriage equality.

By: Neil

Neil — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 04:22:27 +0000

The summary of the Australian political arrangement is perfectly serviceable.

It’s a strange business playing out on the subject of same-sex marriage. The Coalition has too many socially conservative ideologues to take much notice of polling on an issue they likely feel is marginal to electoral concerns, even though their constituents may be largely in favour of that issue.

They wouldn’t back a conscience vote because they want same-sex marriage to be an unresolved thorn in the side of their opponents.

Labor are swayed by cynical calculations on avoiding a divide of the blue collar vote in their marginal electorates. They went with a conscience vote to allow their own social conservatives a way out of committing to progress whilst letting their reps pick a side based on electoral circumstance.

That’s why we have 70% favouring same-sex marriage in the polls but only unequivocal support from the Greens.

By: Lorenzo from Oz

Lorenzo from Oz — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 02:29:56 +0000

The Australian Constitution gives the Federal Government control over marriage law. All other aspects of family law are State matters. So, no State can provide marriage equality. It can recognise civil partnerships and some have.

By: Neil

Neil — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 01:03:27 +0000

Basically the makeup of the parliament is this.

Center left 72 members.
Center right 72 members.
Others 6 members.

Total 150 members

The Center right leader did not allow a conscience vote so his party had to vote along party lines opposing marriage equality. There votes are therefore statistically irrelevant. The remaining members were allowed to voted according to their conscience. Their votes were as follows.

42 in favour of marriage equality.
36 opposed to marriage equality.