Federal minister for Human Services and Social Inclusion Tanya Plibersek publicly supported same-sex marriage in parliament on Wednesday after she received overwhelming support for gay marriage in her Sydney electorate.
A poll on the member for Sydney’s website revealed 89 per cent of constituents believed the Federal Government should formally recognise same-sex relationships with 80 per cent preferring same-sex marriage.
Over 2,500 constituents responded to Plibersek’s poll with a clear majority of people supporting further recognition of gay relationships.
The federal member for Sydney told the House of Representatives on Wednesday that she would endorse same-sex marriage at the Labor Party’s national conference later this year.
‘The clear preference from residents in the Sydney electorate who made a submission to me is to amend the Marriage Act so that same-sex couples can get married,’ Plibersek said.
‘Eighty per cent of survey participants supported same-sex marriage, 57 per cent supported a national civil union scheme open to both same-sex and opposite-sex de facto couples. Only nine per cent supported a national civil union scheme which was open to same-sex couples alone.
‘The residents of Sydney who wrote to me in support of same-sex marriage came from many different backgrounds. What they shared was a belief that no law should discriminate against people because of their sexuality, a belief that I share.’
Plibersek joined the Minister for Finance Penny Wong, Minister for Infrastructure Anthony Albanese and WA Labor Senator Louise Pratt as Labor MPs who have publicly stated support for same-sex marriage.
Benn Dorrington
***
