Australian Vote

[DaveW]

Same-sex marriage is being debated in the Australian Parliament right now.

Some background: In the last federal election, our conservative party (called the Liberal Party) proposed during that campaign that they would have a "plebiscite vote" on whether Australia should allow same sex marriage. A Plebiscite is an individual vote by each registered citizen on a particular issue.

The conservative party said they would put this matter to a full individual public vote.

The Labor Party (our progressive party not unlike the US Democrats) are refusing to vote for it, and the party split and independents will not allow our conservative party to pass the bill to allow the "plebiscite" without support from either the Labor party or a number of the independents.

Now remembering that the Liberal party won the right to govern with this plebiscite as part of their election platform, and this is the most democratic mechanism available to the Australian electorate, what right has the opposition party and the independents to refuse it?

Even moreso, the opposition parties and independents are pushing for a vote in the parliament only - in other words, they don't want every individual person to vote on this matter but only the representatives.

The thing that is making it even worse is that they are saying that the reason they won't allow it is that it will damage the normal democratic mechanism and people will want to vote on every little thing. This though is a smokescreen, because the division on the plebiscite is quite clearly along pro-anti-same sex marriage lines.

Those for same sex marriage don't want a full democratic public vote, and those against it do want a full democratic public vote.

 

So obviously the real matter is not about the democratic system being damaged, but in fact it is because those who re pro-same sex marriage are desperately worried that the general public will not approve of same sex marriage, and if they can possibly keep it out of the hands of the public they will be able to bully it through parliament.

 

[DaveW]

Well, the non-binding vote has been run and counted and about 70% of Australians who voted said yes to the change of marriage law.

The "yes" campaign said they would not accept a no vote anyway, and there is rising evidence of a rigged vote, but I personally don't think any of that makes any difference.

It was in reality only an expensive opinion poll.....

And I personally think it would have made no difference to the parliamentary vote either. They would have voted yes regardless.

Anyway, the same sex marriage bill has now passed through the upper house here, and next week will be debated in the lower house and will almost certainly be passed without changes.

The real concern is that there are no safeguards that allow people to guard their conscience in this matter.

You will not be allowed to refuse to accommodate a same sex couple in whatever your "business". Civil marriage celebrants have no right of refusal on those grounds, and neither do religious celebrants, although there are certain laws about religious rights.

However, this bill opens up the very real possibility to the religious freedom laws to be challenged and changed........

Edited November 30, 2017 by DaveW
phone spelling - missed a couple of vital words.

[Invicta]

18 hours ago, DaveW said:

You will be allowed to refuse to accomodate a same sex couple in whatever your "business". Civil marriage celebrants have right of refusal on those grounds, and neither do religious celebrants, although there are certain laws about religious rights.

However, this bill opens up the very reassibility to the religious freedom laws to be challenged and changed........

You can't discriminate in our country, sadly and I suspect soon in your country, the way that creeping goes.  A little leaven or the thin end of the wedge.

Edited November 30, 2017 by Invicta