AUSTRALIA: Parliament Might Hold Free Vote On Same-Sex Marriage In August

Via Reuters:

Australia will soon decide whether to legalize same-sex marriage under a cross-party bill which may allow parliament members to vote according to their conscience, rather than along party lines, media reported on Wednesday. The debate over whether to follow countries like the United States and Ireland in recognizing same-sex marriage has strained relations between Australia's socially conservative Catholic Prime Minister Tony Abbott and members of his Liberal Party in favor of the change. A cross-party bill, sponsored by two Liberal Party lawmakers is expected to go to the federal parliament on Aug. 11, Sky News Australia said. There is speculation that Abbott may appease his own party members by allowing them the freedom to vote independently, in recognition that they favor the legislation. Abbott's sister is engaged to a woman and has called for bipartisan agreement.

The first day of spring in the southern hemisphere is September 23rd.

AUSTRALIA: PM Tony Abbott Rejects Call For Referendum Of Same-Sex Marriage

Via ABC News Australia:

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has dismissed the idea of a referendum on same-sex marriage in Australia, after Ireland voted in favour of amending the country's constitution on the issue. All of Ireland's 43 constituencies except one voted in favour of the measure, with the final figures showing 62 per cent of votes in favour of the change and 38 per cent against. Mr Abbott said "questions of marriage are the preserve of the Commonwealth Parliament". "Referendums are held in this country where there's a proposal to change the constitution," he said. "I don't think anyone is suggesting the constitution needs to be changed in this respect." Mr Abbott reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage and said it is a matter for the Coalition party room to decide whether MPs get a conscience vote, should legislation come before parliament. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, who is in favour of marriage equality, said Mr Abbott now needs explain why the Government is unwilling to pursue the change. "If the Irish people can vote in favour of marriage equality, the question has to be asked, what is Tony Abbott's problem with it?" he said.

Support for gay marriage is believed to be a few votes short of passage in the legislature.

AUSTRALIA: Senate Agrees To Conscience Vote On Same-Sex Marriage

Via Australia's 9 News:

The Australian Senate wants all members of parliament to have a conscience vote on gay marriage. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young won upper house support on Wednesday for a motion stating every person in federal parliament should be able to freely decide their position on marriage equality. Senator Hanson-Young said it was time for Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who has so far refused a conscience vote, to catch up. But Attorney-General George Brandis said the motion was redundant for Liberal and National party members because "every vote is a conscience vote". "All members are always at liberty to vote at variance from their party's agreed position," he told parliament. The coalition doesn't suspend members for crossing the floor, however if a minister votes against the party they must retire from their frontbench position.

Australian Marriage Equality reacted with a dig at Alabama:

Australian Marriage Equality national director, Rodney Croome, said, "Tony Abbott has been sent a direct message by the Senate to allow a free vote so marriage equality can move forward." "Before the election he promised the Liberal/National party room would be able to debate a marriage equality free vote and it's high time he fulfilled that promise." "It borders on the absurd that we have the Liberal and National parties - parties that say they are champions of individual freedom - not allowing a free vote and not even supporting a motion calling for one." Mr Croome said it is deeply embarrassing to many Australians that same-sex marriages are allowed in Alabama but not Australia. "When you're human rights record is worse than Alabama's you know you're in trouble." "If, as seems likely, Ireland endorses marriage equality in a referendum in May, Australia will be the only developed, English-speaking country without the reform."

(Tipped by JMG reader Lulu)

AUSTRALIA: Prime Minister Responds To Child's Letters On Marriage Equality

"Dear Abbey, Thank you for letting me know your views on same-sex marriage. I appreciate you letting me know about your own family. In my family, I have a sister with a female partner. My sister’s partner is a loved member of our family. While I respect your views on same sex marriage, I hold a different view. My personal position is to support the existing definition of marriage. The Government supports the current definition of marriage contained in the Marriage Act. Any change to this policy would be a matter for the Coalition Party Room. Thank you again for writing to me. I wish you well in the future." - Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, responding to an eight year-old who wrote a letter seven days in a row in support of her uncles. Hit the link to read all of Abbey's letters.

Abbey's Fifth Letter To Tony Abbott

Fourth letter. Third letter. Second letter. First letter.

Abbey's Fourth Letter To Tony Abbott

Still no reply. How rude. Third letter. Second letter. First letter.

Abbey's Third Letter To Tony Abbott

A little terse this time, huh? Source. Second letter. First letter.

Abbey's Second Letter To Tony Abbott

She did vow to write a letter every day. This time it appears she got some help with her spelling. Source. Yesterday's letter.

AUSTRALIA: Dear Tony Abbott...

JMG reader Michael writes on his blog: "It really doesn’t get more heartfelt or political than this letter written by our 8 year-old niece Abbey today. Tony, listen to the kids!"

AUSTRALIA: Parliament To Vote On Marriage, MPs To Get "Conscience Vote"

Via the Sydney Morning Herald:

Parliament is heading for a historic vote on same-sex marriage in which all MPs will be free to vote according to their conscience. The Coalition party rooms are likely to decide on a conscience vote during the coming spring session of Parliament, with one Liberal MP saying it is now ''almost certain'' the party will dump its binding opposition to gay marriage. Prime Minister Tony Abbott, whose sister Christine Forster is in a same-sex relationship, promised before the election the Liberal Party room would be free to decide on a conscience vote.

The matter is expected to reach a crucial stage in the next two sitting fortnights of Parliament in August and September after senior Liberals asked crossbench Senator David Leyonhjelm to introduce his draft bill to legalise same-sex marriage. The government wants his proposed legislation on the notice paper so that it has time to scrutinise the exact wording before deciding which way to go. Senator Leyonhjelm has agreed, reversing his stated position when he announced the draft bill last month. At the time, he said he would not introduce it until the Liberal Party room opted for a conscience vote.

A poll released last month showed that support for marriage equality is at an all-time high in Australia.

A Crosby Textor poll, commissioned by Australian Marriage Equality, has found that 72 per cent of Australians want same-sex marriage legalised, while 77 per cent think Coalition MPs should be granted a conscience vote. According to the poll, support for same-sex marriage is now higher in Australia than it was in any other country, including New Zealand and Great Britain, when overseas parliaments have passed marriage equality laws.

The poll found that a majority of voters across a range of demographics and in almost every age group backed marriage reform. A majority of respondents in each Australian state said they wanted to see marriage equality, as did a majority of Australians who identified with major religions, including Catholic, Anglican and non-Christian religions. An overwhelming 85 per cent of respondents with children were pro-marriage equality. The lowest results came from Australians aged over 65, at 48 per cent, and men over 55, at 42 per cent.

Tweet Of The Day - God

Australian PM Tony Abbott To Glower From Audience At Lesbian Sister's Wedding

From Australia's Daily Telegraph:

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he will "do the right thing" and attend his gay sister's wedding but could never support the marriage. And his sister Christine Forster's engagement to partner Virginia Edwards will not dim his Government's fight against the country's first same-sex marriage laws in the ACT. "If there's a ceremony of some kind, yes, I will be there with a present," the Prime Minister told 3AW of his sister's upcoming nuptials. "I'll do the right thing." But while wishing the couple well, he revealed he saw no way he could ever change his mind and support same-sex marriage. "I am a traditionalist on this," he said. "From time immemorial in every culture that's been known, marriage, or that kind of solemnised relationship, has been between a man and a woman."

Abbott's administration is challenging the marriage equality bill which passed last week in the Australian Capital Territory, their version of Washington DC.

AUSTRALIA: Prime Minister Tony Abbott May Challenge Marriage Bill In ACT

Newly elected Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has indicated that he may attempt to challenge the just-introduced marriage equality bill for the Australian Capital Territory. The ACT is Australia's version of Washington, DC.

The federal government is considering whether it should block the ACT's proposed same-sex marriage legislation. The ACT government introduced a bill to permit same-sex marriages into the Legislative Assembly on Thursday morning. It is expected to pass the 17-member Assembly with the support of all eight Labor and the only Greens member. Mr Abbott later said the Commonwealth had constitutional responsibility for marriage and Attorney-General George Brandis would seek advice on the ACT bill. The ACT is entitled to do what it can within the law," Mr Abbott said. "And, as you know, under the constitution the Commonwealth has responsibility for marriage. The attorney will be seeking advice on precisely how far that extends."

Abbott can thwart the bill either by a challenge to the High Court or by repealing it through a vote by both houses of the national Parliament.

UPDATE: Here's how one anti-gay group is spinning a potential challenge to the High Court.

Barrister Christopher Brohier, of Lawyers for the Preservation of the Definition of Marriage, says there are all sorts of scenarios whereby the laws could be taken to the High Court. "A group or a married couple for example might argue that say their marriage is affected because before the legislation if they went out to a party and a man said 'I'm married', everybody would know he's married to a girl. But after the legislation he might say well, 'I've got to explain that I'm married to a girl rather than a boy and that has an effect on me personally'."

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.