Tweet Of The Day - Kevin Rudd

Rudd has twice been the prime minister of Australia, most recently in 2013.

Brian Brown Cheers Australia

"Dear Joe, 'Sank Like a Stone' — that's how same-sex marriage faired in Australia this past week. Australia held elections for Prime Minister the other day, but it was as much a referendum on whether the Aussies would redefine marriage or not. You may remember I had traveled to Australia in August for the World Congress of Families, and I could not be happier for the friends I made on that trip and our pro-marriage and family allies there.

"It's a great victory for marriage, and a win worth celebrating across the globe. It also serves as a reminder that when people are given the right to vote on marriage, they invariably vote to preserve the true and intrinsic nature of marriage as an institution binding one man to one woman for life in order to love and care for one another and for any children born of their union.

"To cement this great victory, the people of Australia should insist on the right to a national referendum to preserve marriage. That's the best way to capitalize on the momentum of the victory, and only an amendment will protect marriage from the unceasing efforts of gay-'marriage' activists and the politicians who rely on them for support. It's the only way to ensure that the people — and not politicians or judges — control the definition of marriage in Australia." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, via email.

Australia Prayed Away Gay Marriage

"On national television on Monday 2 September, I asked a question of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd about his sudden change to support homosexual marriage. Mr. Rudd, who claims to be a Christian, tried to dismiss the words of Jesus in Matthew 19:5 supporting man-woman marriage in the Bible. The YouTube clip of the 4-min incident went viral, as did an article in Australia's national newspaper, The Australian, titled 'Judas Kiss'. Tony Abbott, said during the Australian Christian Lobby webcast before the election, 'I believe marriage is between a man and a woman.' Seven days later God heard our prayers and your prayer and there was a change of government. A miracle has occurred. A victory has been won, but the battle is far from over. We thank you for your continuing prayers." - Australian Pastor Matt Prater, who had called for a national day of fasting against same-sex marriage.

AUSTRALIA: Anti-Marriage Conservative Tony Abbott Elected Prime Minister

The same-sex marriage movement suffered a blow in Australia today when Tony Abbott was elected prime minister in a vote that news outlets are calling "decisive" and  "a landslide."

Abbott, a former boxer, Rhodes scholar and trainee priest, promised to restore political stability, cut taxes and crack down on asylum seekers arriving by boat. But it was frustration with Labor's leadership turmoil that cost the government dearly at the polls. Labor dumped Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2010, for Australia's first female prime minister Julia Gillard, only to reinstate Rudd as leader in June 2013 in a desperate bid to stay in power. "This was an election that was lost by the government more than one that was won by the opposition," former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke told Sky News. Election officials said with about 65 percent of the vote counted, Abbott's Liberal-National Party coalition had won around 54 percent of the national vote, and projected it would win at least 77 seats in the 150-seat parliament.

Sitting Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had promised to introduce marriage equality legislation within 100 days of his new term.

AUSTRALIA: Pastor Calls For Day Of Fasting Against Reelection Of Kevin Rudd

On Monday, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd drew international headlines for his smack-down of a local pastor and Christian radio host who attacked him during a public forum for Rudd's support of same-sex marriage. Today that pastor, Matt Prater, who heads up some outfit called the Billion Souls Revival Prayer Team, is calling for a national day of fasting and prayer against Rudd's reelection.  Prater's group is piggy-backing its campaign on Pope Francis' call for prayer about the situation in Syria. 

"We have a Prime Minister who has promised that if he is re-elected he will introduce 'homosexual marriage' within 100 days of being in office. Just as violence leads to more violence, so immorality begets more immorality. 'Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.' Australia has a strong Christian heritage as a nation so we ask that as you pray for peace in Syria, you also pray for revival and reformation for Australia. The Prince of Peace has all the answers for Syria and all the nations of the world. To God be the glory."

Australia's election is tomorrow.

AUSTRALIA: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Slams Anti-Gay Pastor At Public Forum

The Guardian reports:

Challenged by a pastor and Christian radio announcer on the ABC’s Q&A program on Monday night as to why as a Christian he did not follow the teaching of the bible that marriage was between a man and a woman, Rudd replied: “Well, mate, if I was going to have that view, the bible also says that slavery is a natural condition because St Paul said in the new testament: ‘slaves be obedient to your masters,’ and therefore we should all have fought for the confederacy in the US civil war.” He added: “I mean, for goodness sake, the human condition and social conditions change. What is the central principle of the new testament? It is one of universal love, loving your fellow man,” Rudd said, during a passionate performance in which he insisted he was still not contemplating losing Saturday’s election despite Labor’s declining standing in the opinion polls.

Rudd has promised to submit marriage equality legislation within 100 days of the start of his new term, should he be reelected.

AUSTRALIA: PM Kevin Rudd Joins Other Top Politicians For Music Video

The Australian papers are mocking this, but I think it's kinda cool.

IF you thought this year was a particularly bad one for Australian politics, prepare to have it flash before your very eyes in a new music video. Canberra's indie punk band Super Best Friends have rounded up the country's leaders and press gangs to help them film their latest single, Round and Round. What follows is something that will be talked about - at least for today. The bipartisan approach means everyone gets a look in, from Kevin Rudd (percussion) and Tony Abbott (on the bike), to Senator Nick Xenophon (on guitar) and Anthony Albanese (the aeroplane), plus Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Christine Milne and even Clive Palmer gets a look-in. Yes, it is a cringe-fest like no other and will certainly add weight to the argument overseas that we're not a particularly serious mob when it comes to politics.

AUSTRALIA: PM Kevin Rudd Promises Same-Sex Marriage Bill If Re-Elected

(Tipped by JMG reader Alan)

AUSTRAILIA: Prime Minister Endorses Marriage, Suggests National Referendum

During all the hoopla this week, I didn't get to mention that Australia had a change in power. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is back in charge after toppling Julia Gillard as leader of the Labor Party. One day after being re-sworn in and a month after writing a blog post announcing his reversal on marriage, yesterday Rudd used his first press conference to suggest placing the issue to a national vote if the opposition party does not allow a conscience vote in Parliament.  Unsurprisingly, gay activists do not want marriage on the ballot.

Marriage equality advocates are thrilled the Mr Rudd has spoken about the issue in his first major media event, but do not support his call for a public vote. Rodney Croome, the national convenor of Australian Marriage equality, said a process of a referendum would be "unnecessarily expensive". He also said while he believed the majority of Australians would vote for marriage equality, he was concerned was about the process. "We have consistently opposed a national plebiscite or referendum on marriage equality for a number of reasons," Mr Croome said. "It could potentially be deeply polarising, becoming a platform for fear-mongering against the gay and lesbian community, and we think that our politicians are elected to make these kinds of decisions, rather than hand-balling them back to the voters. "It could be quite destructive... particularly for young, same-sex attracted people coming to terms with their sexuality. "They don't need to see the kind of fear and hate campaigns that I feel would inevitably come out during a referendum."

Former Aussie PM Reverses On Marriage

"I have come to the conclusion that church and state can have different positions and practices on the question of same sex marriage. I believe the secular Australian state should be able to recognise same sex marriage. I also believe that this change should legally exempt religious institutions from any requirement to change their historic position and practice that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman. For me, this change in position has come about as a result of a lot of reflection, over a long period of time, including conversations with good people grappling with deep questions of life, sexuality and faith." - Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, writing on his personal site.

Rudd was Prime Minister from late 2007 until June 2010, then spent two years as Foreign Minister in the cabinet of current Pride Minister Julia Gillard. He is presently a member of Parliament.

Australia's Labor Party Challenges Its Own PM To Approve Same-Sex Marriage

The Labor Party of Australia is challenging its own Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to pass marriage equality legislation. Rudd has threatened to veto a recently approved law making same-sex marriage legal in the Australian Capitol Territory.

The Australian Labor Party in the state of Victoria passed a resolution in support of marriage equality last weekend. It is supported by ministers and calls for the law to be changed to allow "equal access to marriage, regardless of the gender of either partner". According to the Sydney Morning Herald, it reads: "Victorian Labor believes that people are entitled to respect, equality, dignity and the opportunity to participate in society free from hatred or harassment and receive the protection of the law regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity." Rudd has been a steadfast opponent of gay marriage rights and said this week that his government may veto for a third time laws recognising civil partnership ceremonies in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The ACT legalised civil partnerships ceremonies for gay couples earlier this month, making it the first territory in the country to do so.

Australian PM Kevin Rudd: I Said No Gay Marriage And I Meant It

Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd is "pushing back" against a Labor Party call for the federal government to legalize same-sex marriage.

Mr Rudd says he will not change the policy he took to the last election. "We went to the last election being very clear-cut about our position on marriage under the Marriage Act being between a man and a woman," he said. "We've also said that in terms of all legal discriminations against same-sex partners that we would act to remove them, and the Attorney-General has been hard at work."

The Labor Party's national conference is taking place this week.

Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Rejects Civil Unions

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's government has formally rejected a call for civil unions for same-sex couples.

The Government’s response equated the proposal with same-sex marriage equality, saying the no gay unions policy “reflects the widely held view in the community that marriage is between a man and a woman”. But the Government confirmed it still intends to recognise and support same-sex families through its community and social inclusion strategies, and convince NSW, QLD, SA, WA and NT to implement relationship registers.

A representative from Australian Marriage Equality called Rudd behind the times, saying, "Opinion polls consistently show that a majority of Australians support same-sex marriage, making a nonsense of the Government’s stated belief that its policy ‘reflects a widely held view in the community’."

Since 2004 Australia has defined marriage as the "union of a man and a woman." Domestic partners registries are available to same-sex couples in the states of Victoria and Tasmania, and in the Australian Capital Territory. As noted in the excerpted text above, the federal government is pressuring other states to do so as well. Late last year same-sex couples nationwide were granted most of the federal rights afforded married opposite-sex couples.

Australia Says "Sorry"

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd read a 361-word apology to the aboriginal people of Australia today for his country's history of forced assimilation, a policy which removed aborigine children from their homes and gave them to white parents.

Based on the premise that "full-blood" Aborigines were a race headed for extinction, up to 100,000 mixed-race children were taken from their parents between 1910 and 1970. The children, some of them babies, were often snatched from sobbing mothers by policemen or government officials.

Rudd described the national mea culpa as "removing a stain from the soul of Australia". Local press describes the apology as similar to that given by the United States to Japanese-Americans for their forced internment during World War II.

Rudd's predecessor, the Bush-lackey John Howard, had refused to apologize for the snatched children, saying Australia had "no need to atone for past injustices."

Australia's New PM: Civil Unions OK

Newly elected Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said yesterday that his administration will not interfere with states or territories that move to legalize civil unions for gay couples. The state of Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory are both expected to pass civil union laws early next year.

Previous attempts to pass such legislation were thwarted by previous Prime Minister John Howard. Rudd has said that he opposes the approval of civil unions or gay marriages on the federal level, so like in the United States, Australia will likely be advancing on marriage equality state-by-state.

The Merry Ole Land Of Oz

Ha ha ha
Ho ho ho
And a couple of tra la la's

Australian Labor Party Prime Minister candidate Kevin Rudd has trounced anti-gay Bush lackey John Howard. Howard lost so badly, he no longer even has a seat in Parliament. Rudd's historic win means that Labor now runs the government in every Australian state and territory. Also for the first time, a woman, Julia Gillard, holds the second-highest office in the country.

Howard supported Bush in the invasion of Iraq and has a long history of opposing same-sex marriage. His campaigns frequently used gay marriage as a wedge issue.

Congratulations to our LGBT friends in Australia. Big changes are comin' down under!
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