Liberal backbenchers will have a “conscience vote” when a proposal for marriage equality is put to parliament. This puts the equality campaign closer to victory in Australia than it has ever been before.
Members of the shadow cabinet, including junior frontbenchers, will still be required to maintain the party position, which will be decided unilaterally by Liberal leader Tony Abbott, and therefore bound to vote against marriage equality.
The move follows a recent surge of interest from lobbying groups such as Australian Marriage Equality and the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby to negotiate with the Liberal party for a conscience vote.
Australian Marriage Equality spokesperson Alex Greenwich said: “By helping this reform happen in this term of government, a handful of Coalition MPs can now pragmatically ensure this issue doesn't divisively affect any future Coalition government.
“The challenge to Labor and the Greens is to reach across the aisle and work through the concerns of undecided Coalition backbenchers in a patient way.”
He said an inquiry under way in the Senate “will help facilitate this process”.
Policy advisor for the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby Senthorun Raj spoke to Green Left Weekly about the need for a broad and diverse campaign.
“Marriage equality is a matter of fairness and justice for same-sex couples,” he said. “It needs support from all sides of politics to become a reality.”
In the event that a full conscience vote were granted, more socially progressive MPs such as Malcolm Turnbull and Joe Hockey would be free to vote in favour of reform. Their votes could potentially be the ones to tip the scales.
For some, the move is a healthy sign of a return to the classical liberalism espoused by some members of the Liberal Party.
Prominent queer activist Angelus Morningstar told Green Left Weekly: “One of the main features of Liberal politics is its non-binding policy platform.
“Anecdotally I know many Liberal members and politicians who have joined because of that intrinsic value, which effectively speaks to its classic liberal roots. Take that away and it undermines a core principle and reduces the party to an anti-Labor party, rather than something with a unique identity.
“Even now, it is dependent on a standing coalition with the Nationals in order to form government. I predict that removing this fundamental freedom will only help to undermine the party in the long run.”
Morningstar was not confident the first round of votes would result in victory, but said it could be a good first step.
“It opens individual politicians up to criticism and I believe that will allow us to start taking account of them and make them accountable for their opinion. It effectively brings it much more strongly into the public eye. The vote itself, in some ways, is just as important as the results.”
But Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) co-convener Bryn Hutchinson said a more radical road needs to be taken.
“We should remember that inter-racial marriage was granted as a human right in Australia in 1967, at a time when it did not have the widespread support that marriage equality for non-heterosexual couples has today.
“We should be deeply concerned about the way that under current political conditions, human rights have eroded to the point where we need to negotiate things that are non-negotiable.”
CAAH has called for people to get active in rallies and demonstrations, because it says popular pressure has gained this concession from the Liberals. To win the final parliamentary reform, CAAH says pressure must continue and grow.
CAAH co-convener Cat Rose said: “This is about civil rights. Politicians need it made clear to them that we will not put up with them using their positions of power to deny anyone legal equality.
“Both parties are now allowing politicians to vote in favour of equal rights, so there really will be no excuse.
“The groundswell of public support and consistent campaigning on the streets have made serious headway over the past few years. We will not be backing off until we receive justice.”
CAAH has called on all supporters of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex rights to rally for marriage equality on International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO), at 1pm, on May 12 at Sydney Town Hall.
CAAH will also have a marriage equality float at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on March 3 that everyone is welcome to join and march with.
[For more information or to get involved, join the “Sydney Campaign for Marriage Equality” Facebook page or visit caah.org.au.]
