Australia’s Labour Party has voted to remove any conscience clause for members on the issue of same-sex marriage by 2019.
A substantial number of Labour party parliamentarians, especially from New South Wales, are opposed to same-sex marriage.
Amid the ongoing debate on redefining the country’s marriage laws, representatives of the party, currently in opposition, met during the party’s annual conference in Melbourne to discuss supporting same-sex marriage and requiring all its members to row in behind such a move, finally deciding to champion a redefinition of marriage once in government.
The ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) reported that, in a late compromise, the stripping of conscience from Labour members was pushed back to 2019, by which time anyone unable to forgo their conscientious objections on same-sex marriage can have ended their links to Labour. The result also means that Labour members of parliament have two remaining government terms in which they can vote against any same-sex marriage legislation coming before the chamber.
Following adoption of the new principles, the Labour Party leader, Bill Shorten declared: “I promise that within 100 days of a Labour government being elected that I shall move in the parliament of Australia for marriage equality for Australians.”
The Australian parliament is due to debate the issue of same-sex marriage in August towards a vote in December. The latest opinion poll on the issue, conducted by the Australian Financial Review, reveals that 54% of Australians support the introduction of same-sex marriage.
