Tasmanian same-sex vote to put pressure on federal Labor



GAY activists say yesterday’s vote by Tasmania’s lower house calling for gay marriage — the first in an Australia parliament — will build pressure on federal Labor ahead of its national conference.


State Labor MPs backed a Greens motion calling on the Gillard government to change the federal Marriage Act to allow same-sex couples to marry.

Gay marriage campaigners hailed passionate speeches in favour of the change by Labor MPs from blue-collar and Christian backgrounds, vowing to send the Hansard to Julia Gillard, who opposes gay marriage.

Premier Lara Giddings said the vote sent a message to the nation that “the time for marriage equality is here”.

The Liberal opposition dismissed the vote as “inconsequential” and the Australian Christian Lobby said its effect on national debate would be minimal.

Labor and the Greens — who govern in a power-sharing alliance — united to back a motion initiated by Greens leader Nick McKim, supporting gay marriage and calling on Canberra to legislate.

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“By voting in support of marriage equality, Tasmania has written itself into this country’s history books, as a national leader for a more compassionate and progressive society,” Mr McKim said. “Labor and the Greens have come together to advance this cause.”Marriage Equality national convenor Alex Greenwich said he hoped other parliaments would follow, building pressure ahead of debate at Labor’s national conference in Sydney in December.

“This is a historic day for Tasmania and for the marriage equality debate nationally,” Mr Greenwich said.

The motion passed 13 votes to nine and prompted applause and cheers from the public gallery.

Australian Christian Lobby head Jim Wallace said the vote might lead to similar moves in parliaments where the Greens held sway, such as the ACT.

However, he believed it would have little impact federally and accused Greens MPs of “demonising” opponents of gay marriage, singling out Greens MP Cassy O’Connor for using the term “bigot”.

Mr McKim said Ms O’Connor had “offered contrition” for her use of the term.

Tasmania was the last state to decriminalise homosexuality (in 1997) but the first to legislate civil unions (in 2004) and to recognise overseas same-sex marriages (last year).

Mr McKim vowed to introduce a state law for same-sex marriage if Canberra failed to embrace the change by the end of this year. However, Ms Giddings opposes state legislation, believing marriage is a federal issue.

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