Marriage equality advocates are encouraging people to write to the Prime Minister and their local MP to argue against the proposal to hold a postal plebiscite on the issue.

The idea for a non-compulsory mail based plebiscite has been put forward by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton.

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National spokesperson for Parents and Fiends of Lesbians and Gays, Shelley Argent, said the move was simply a tactic to delay marriage equality.

“A non-compulsory postal vote is an attempt to delay marriage equality and distract from a free vote.”

“Worse still it is insulting and demeaning to our sons and daughters to have their rights decided by the efficiency of Australia Post.”

“There’s a risk ballots will arrive late, get mixed up with junk mail or just get lost.”

“I urge everyone who wants to see marriage equality happen as quickly as possible to raise their voice against Dutton’s dodgy survey by sending an email through our new webform.”

Veteran marriage equality advocate and just.equal spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,

“A non-complusory postal vote is rigged against marriage equality because young people and softer supporters of marriage equality will be less likely to participate.”

“On top of this, the LGBTI community has already made it crystal clear it would rather wait for marriage equality than have a public vote marred by division and hate.”

“We have to send a message to the Government to drop this ridiculous idea and have a free vote instead.”

The proposal for a postal plebiscite will cost tax payers an estimated $40 million dollars but it will not be compulsory to vote.

PFLAG’s 17 Reason’s Why a postal plebiscite is a bad idea.

1. It is ineffective and inefficient.
2. Most people will not bother participating in the vote.
3. It is absolutely insulting to our sons and daughters to have their rights trivialised in such a manner.
4. A free vote still costs zero dollars.
5. The proposal will still cost $39 million which is still a total waste of tax payer’s money.
6. A proposed Plebiscite was voted down in the Senate last year.
7. A postal Plebiscite does not require legislation.
8. The only people who will vote are those against marriage equality. Not those to whom it is a non issue which will automatically skew numbers and not show the real figures as we and the government knows.
9. This is a 100% way of ensuring marriage equality is a failure.
10. The electronic Census was a dismal failure, why would this be different?
11. It won’t capture a representative of the population’s views.
12. The vote can get lost in the mail, or mixed up with junk mail.
13. People on holidays or moved won’t receive the envelope.
14. How would they ensure it’s a free and confidential vote?
15. If the envelope is lost in transit, can people vote in person at polling booth?
16. It’s insulting to put an issue of human rights in the mail box with junk mail advertising.
17. The people of this country want the politicians to do their job, not outsource it to people’s letterboxes.