Mark Dreyfus, the shadow Attorney General, has clarified that the Labor party is not in favour of a referendum on marriage.
“I want to make it absolutely clear that Labor does not support any measures to investigate or develop a referendum for amendment of the Constitution in relation to marriage laws. Labor opposes a referendum on same sex marriage,” said Dreyfus in a statement.
The confusion on the party’s position came after they supported a move earlier this week by Senator John Madigan to hold a referendum.
Mr Dreyfus said the Labor party as a matter of practice automatically gives support to all non-government referrals to committee.
‘As a matter of Senate practice, while in Opposition Labor supports non-government referrals to Senate Committees.
‘Supporting the use of Senate processes by non-government Senators does not indicate support by Labor for the policy in that referral.
The clarification has been welcomed by Australian Marriage Equality. National Director welcomed the clarification and said with all three parties ruling out a referendum the issue was now politically dead.
“We are pleased Labor has clarified that it is opposed to a marriage equality referendum,” said Croome.
“There is now clear tripartite opposition to such a referendum, effectively killing it as an issue.”
“I urge opponents of marriage equality to stop distracting attention from the core question of whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry by pursuing this political dead end.”
Earlier this week Senator John Madigan, the sole member of the Democratic Labor Party in parliament, put forward a motion that a senate committee should investigate to possibility for a referendum that would declare marriage to solely be between a man and a woman, and under the jurisdiction of the federal parliament. The suggestion was voted down by the government and The Greens.
OIP Staff
