Labor politicians have broken ranks on the marriage debate as state and federal members voiced their support for same-sex marriage.
Only two of Western Australia’s seven federal Labor members have come out in support of gay marriage.
Fremantle MP Melissa Parke spoke out in favour of same-sex marriage on November 18 after the federal parliament passed the bill to consult with constituencies on the matter.
WA Labor senator Louise Pratt has long supported same-sex marriage, stating her support for same-sex marriage and rights in her maiden speech.
ALP Left faction convenor and senator Doug Cameron was one of the first members to come out in support and welcomed the consultation period to gauge electorate attitudes on the topic.
Sydney Star Observer reported left faction members of the ALP met on October 24 and declared same-sex marriage was inevitable in Australia.
The next day, Cameron said voters had a right to be concerned that the federal government and opposition had shut down debate on gay marriage.
A confidential Sky News poll sourced the views of 39 Labor MPs with 22 of those expressing support for laws allowing same-sex marriage.
Federal Sports Minister Mark Arbib followed suit and voiced his support; he predicted more ALP party members would join the burgeoning list of members in support of gay marriage.
Days later, Queensland Labor MP for Moreton Graham Perrett showed his support for gay marriage in mid-November and spoke of his two gay brothers and gay cousins. He said to oppose same-sex marriage wouldn’t sit right with him.
NSW MP Stephen Jones joined the chorus of ALP members in support of same-sex marriage when the House of Representatives debated the Greens Marriage Equality bill on November 15.
On a state level, Queensland Premier and ALP National President Anna Bligh also came out in defence of same-sex marriage last month and said it was perfectly reasonable if people love each other and want to be recognised legally.
Federal Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten also told ABC’s Q & A program that he personally suppported same-sex marriage but like Arbib, wouldn’t break away from the party’s official stance.
As OUTinPerth understands, the ALP’s official policy on same-sex marriage cannot be amended until the next national conference.
‘The ALP National Conference will take place in December 2011, however, we urge everyone to contact their politicians (as easy as an email) regularly and tell them that you want same-sex marriage,’ said a representative of Rainbow Labor, the ALP’s LGBT sub-branch. ‘Let’s not lose the momentum!’
