A postal vote will be held in Australia in November to gauge public opinion on whether or not to legalise same-sex marriage. The result will not be binding on parliament, but the Government has pledged to act on the outcome by either moving a same-sex marriage bill or dropping it from the legislative calendar.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has come out against the legalisation of gay marriage, offering several reasons why people should vote “no” in the upcoming plebiscite. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Abbott said: “I say to you: If you don’t like same-sex marriage, vote ‘no.’ If you worry about freedom of speech and freedom of religion, vote ‘no’; and if you don’t like political correctness, vote ‘no’ because this is the best way to stop it in its tracks.”
Advocates for same-sex marriage have opposed the postal vote. Green Party LGBTI spokeswoman, Janet Rice, said the “threat of a postal plebiscite” was a “ridiculous distraction”. She warned that mail can go astray and many young people “hardly know how to send a letter … it’s just not the way to be making a decision”.