Posts Tagged: Penny Wong gay marriage

Campaigns / Miscellaneous — No Comments
3
Apr 11

ONE YEAR, HALF A MILLION READERS !!

first birthday candle

Well, it’s been a busy year personally and with the blog, but I want to thank you all for helping this little platfrom get this far.

And it’s all good news:  across the blog itself and especially the Facebook page, your stories, the news, some videos, jokes, photos and more have been read almost 500,000 times.

We’re reaching people we never expected to reach too – some of the top viewing figures come from India, China and even Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.

If you Google a prominent person like Penny Wong, now our post on her views on gay marriage will come up as one of the top results. Same if you put in “Kylie Minogue gay marriage” and many more.

Let’s try to get to a million in the second year.  Every person we motivate or inspire or comfort gets the world one step closer to the equality we believe in.

 

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Australia / Politicians — 1 Comment
3
Mar 11

POLITICS AS USUAL IN AUSTRALIA

Julia Gillard, Australian Prime Minister

Australia is giving the USA a run for its money on gay marriage politics. I’ve never seen such contortions and nonsense, here’s a small insight.  In essence, this week gay marriage is being used as a prop by at least three different political groups - two of whom (the majority of the ruling Labor party and the Greens party) notionally support marriage equality.

As with the endless court cases and parliamentary readings in the USA, where there is a blog or cable station at every turn to record drama, drama, drama, we are starting to see the same in Australia. A debate about territory rights has turned into a proxy debate about gay marriage (basically Canberra and the Outback have the same status as the Distrtict of Columbia in the US). Because in the nation’s capital the local Labor government and the Greens have long waited to introduce marriage equality, and have been foiled – DOMA style – by more conservative federal administrations who could veto them.

Opportunistic media outlets are having a field day because they smell political blood. And if they can’t smell it, they have decided they will try and manufacture it. So now, instead of just getting on with the job as the UK did in 2005 with civil unions, or properly separating the issues of territory rights and gay marriage, the ruling Labor party is tearing itself apart in a frightening unproductive way.

Remember, this is a country where 60% support equalilty; it is about a territory where around 70% and the local government support equalilty; and its happening in a party where most party members want equality.  Basically, the ONLY thing holding the process up is a dozen or so scared or conservative people at Ministerial level.

This is a debate about nothing. This is politics as soap opeara. And I am really starting to get sick of it.

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Australia / Lesbian / Politicians / Uncategorized — 3 Comments
27
Nov 10

FINALLY PENNY WONG COMES OUT – AND ANOTHER DOMINO TUMBLES

Penny Wong with partner Sophie Allouache

Australian Senator Penny Wong with partner Sophie Allouache

What a great day!

Yet another state branch of the Australian Labor Party backs gay marriage - this time South Australia, birthplace of Australia’s gay rights movement in the 1960s.  So much for the nonsense that supporting gay marriage is about this government being run by the Greens; no, it is finally a case of the Government being run by the people.

Most newsworthy of course is not the motion backing marriage, but the fact that the much vilified Penny Wong spoke in support of it.

Wong said: “There has been some commentary which has confused my position of not commenting publicly on this issue with my position on the actual issue itself … I have had the opportunity to advocate for equality at the highest levels of our party and within our party processes, as I do today. And I will do so again at the next national conference.” She then pointedly added: ” Talking about change is not the same as delivering it.”

Yes, she should have done this ages ago, but this is a very welcome move. And it should put all the sniping and vilifiers back in their place. Wong faced a backlash several months back that went beyond criticism and verged into racism and stupidity – now she is out and proud on the side of equality and this will really shift the debate inside the Labor party.

The motion reads: “This convention calls upon the ALP national conference to amend the platform to support the legal right of all adult couples in Australia to be married if they so choose, and for that marriage to be recognised and registered by law in Australia, regardless of the sexual orientation, or gender, of the parties to the marriage.”

What does this mean?  We probably won’t be getting marriage equality before 2012 – but this might change – but we will almost certainly be getting it in 2012 at the latest. That does not apply if there is an early election and the Government is wiped out. But it probably isn’t going to do much worse than in August 2010 and any loss of support will probably go to the Greens anyway.

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Australia / Campaigns / Politicians — 1 Comment
22
Nov 10

7 MILLION PISSED-OFF PEOPLE: AUSTRALIA’S WILD RIDE SET TO CONTINUE

Will the next week build the same momentum in Australia as the one just past?
It will be hard, but it is possible.

To re-cap: 
- two new national opinion polls showed majority support for gay marriage. 
- The first ever real parliamentary debate on gay marriage took place, and produced the first parliamentary result that was not anti-equality.
- The largest ever nationwide rallies in on a gay issue took place
- A fourth branch of the governing Australian Labor Party (the Northern Territory) endorsed equality. Four in favour now; four without an official position and one – the most important, the national conference, against equality (but for civil unions)
- There are now multiple MPs and Senators in every state and territory and from all parties (except the conservative rural National party) who openly support equality.

Media coverage has been largely encouraging – with dozens of supportive columns including from big name writers such as Adele Horin, Michelle and Lenore Taylor. however there are two clear exceptions to this trend: male commentators are clearly most hostile or dismissive and news reporting has been shallow and inaccurate often. 

My theory: the canberra press gallery largely live in a bubble. They are more comfortable with opinion polls than reality. They court anonymous source rather than prizing on the ground reporting. They do not see how keenly this issue is felt both by gays and lesbians and by others a symbol of a hollow Labor philosophy, becau we are not an entrenched interest group that is listed in their black books.

They forget that while gays and lesbians may only be 5% of the population, that is still more than one million people who are increasingly angry victims of injustice. they have two million parents and another two million sibling,  and probably mother couple of million straight friends… What do you know? That is suddenly seven million pissed off people.

Not exactly a strategy for fairness or good government when one is governing by a majority of one, is it?

One thing has been agreed by most at least: gay marriage is NOT going away as an issue. Welcome to the Australian cultural wars courtesy of Julia Gillard’s intransigence.
    

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Australia / Civil Union / Politicians — No Comments
17
Nov 10

SHOWDOWN: JULIA GILLARD VERSUS PENNY WONG

So now it starts to become clearer. Julia Gillard is the real stumbling block inside the Labor Government, if this story is accurate … and I am betting it is.

In short it shows that Gillard basically wants this risk off the table to preserve her fragile government, betting that equality supporters care less about change than the Christian Right. That’s a big bet. And it’s a stupid one as the last week’s growing momentum for change show. Both supporters of equality and those who dislike Gillard now have the perfect stick to beat her with.

This unlikely alliance of the liberal left and the anti-Gillard right could be the biggest possible bloc of support for equality.   

This story rings true for several reasons … Continue reading →

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Australia / Politicians — No Comments
10
Nov 10

NOW A LABOR SPONSORED MARRIAGE BILL

Labor MP Ian Hunter

Great news, and further momentum today in Australia.  Ian Hunter MLC – A Labor member of the South Australian Parliament – is introducing a same sex marriage bill into that state parliament. It will be co-sponsored by Tammy Franks MLC from the Greens.

It’s great news from both of them, but especially significant for the pressure it puts on others in the Labor party across Australia to declare their hand.   From the unions to the right-wing heavyweights, to the national Left faction and now to individual MPs like Ian Hunter – there is support everywhere.

Do we have a majority in Canberra?  Not yet – but the point is the debate cannot be stopped now. It’s been happening and now it will keep happening in state parliaments …. Until Julia Gillard wakes up and realises she doesn’t have the power to stop people talking about matters that dramatically affect, and harm, their daily lives.

“I sense the mood for change in the country and the I sense the mood for change in the Labor party,” yes indeed Ian Hunter.

PS. Ian has been supporting Rainbow Labor from the outset – good to see him follow it through to the end.

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Australia / Politicians / Uncategorized — No Comments
7
Nov 10

THE PRESSURE PILES ON IN AUSTRALIA

Anna Bligh by Michelle Smith

So let’s get this straight Julia … you are still pushing the same old lame pointless line, which defies every fibre of your background and sensibilities:
“Marriage is a union between a man and woman. We talked about this in 2009 so we can’t talk about it again until 2012.”

Get a grip. This is the era of the National Broadband Network, your government’s wonderful and wonderfully expensive attempt to get us ceaselessly connecting and creating and talking … why the hell should anyone shut up to fit in with your pointless and artificial timetables, built on your pointless and artificial political positions?

This weekend alone the most significant factional powerbroker of the governing party – Mark Arbib, and the President of the Party who also happens to be the Premier of Queensland – Anna Bligh, have come out in support of equality.

They join the most influential union leader, the Left faction of the Party, the notional holders of the balance of power in the Senate The Greens party, and 62% of the population in supporting gay marriage. Around 80% want a debate that the Prime Minister refuses to have.

It wouldn’t surprise me for a second if you and Penny Wong, the Cabinet’s lone lesbian, cling for dear life to the official line … but this is one tragedy whose ending can still be re-written.

The LABOR Government does not need to be on the same side on bitter grandpas, busy-body bigots, religious fanatics, and the slothfully ignorant and close-minded.   It can join all of the reasonable people like the million gays and lesbians and their millions of friends and supporters and do what Labor Governments are supposed to do:  support the vulnerable, the unequal, the unfairly treated.

For f*ck’s sake: get off the Titantic, Julia.

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Australia / Politicians / Surprising Marriage Equality Supporters — No Comments
6
Nov 10

ARBIB THE GREAT

Labor gay marriage supporter Mark Arbib

RIGHT-WING Australian Labor minister Mark Arbib has declared his party’s policy against gay marriage must change to allow same-sex couples to marry.

This has massive ramifications for internal Labor politics. First his words: “If I was the parent of a gay son or daughter I don’t know how I could tell them they didn’t have the same rights as I do.”

The consequences:  Arbib has just declared open season on the Labor’s party nonsensical position against equality. He is the prime powerbroker in the biggest state and the biggest faction of the Government. He was key to the change of Prime Minister earlier in 2010, and his support matches that of the head of the Left wing, Anthony Albanese.  The head of the country’s most powerful trade union, Paul Howes of the Australian Workers’ Union, also supports equality.

So you add it up; the two biggest factional powerbrokers, the most influential unionist, half of the Cabinet, 62% of the public and half of the balance of power MPs all support equality. Much greater numbers support a free and fair debate on the issue.

This is an unstable dam wall waiting to burst of Julia Gillard’s head if she insists on not getting with the program. More to the point this alliance is fundamentally right and in-tune with the deeply embedded Australian values of a ‘fair go’ for all people.

The clock is now loudly ticking on inequality.
p.s. the article is wrong on one count. Arbib is not the first ‘front-bencher’ to support equality. Anthony Albanese and Peter Garrett came out in support a long time ago.

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Australia / Politicians — 3 Comments
24
Oct 10

NUMBERS DON’T LIE; POLITICIANS DO

I never thought I’d sound so cynical about the political process … but I can’t help feeling that one of the biggest problems in the gay marriage debate in Australia, my home country,  is the number of politicians who lie or hide what they really think about the issue.

Like the 62 per cent of Australians who now say they support equality, and the 80 per cent who think there should be a free vote on the issue in Parliament, there are many politicians from all parties who agree.

But we don’t hear it.  We just hear nonsense from our left-wing, atheist, childless, unmarried, female Prime Minister.  Really – is there a set of political and lifestyle indicators more closely associated with supporting equality than Julia Gillard’s?  Frankly, no.  Never mind that 80 per cent of the people who voted for her support equality.

So what gives?

You tell me, because I can’t figure it out.  Gay marriage is more popular than Julia Gillard is – by a long way. At least two and probably three of the five cross-bench Members of Parliament would vote for it. So she isn’t going to lose government or votes. And no one is even asking for her to lead the debate. They are just wanting her to authorise one. Kind of like a democracy, ya know.

Maybe we will have wait nine years for it – that’s how long it took to have a proper debate on the war in Afghanistan after all.

Things you can do in the meantime:

- register your support here at http://www.freevote.org.au/ for a ‘conscience vote’ on the issues in the Commonwealth Parliament

- support the Green party’s national legislation on marriage equality

- find a champion in Labor or Liberal who is willing to take a risk in being the ‘voice for gay marriage’ and rallying behind that individual as they build support and decontaminate this issue inside the Parliament

Continue reading →

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Australia / Politicians — No Comments
3
Sep 10

AUSTRALIAN GAYS WAITING AT THE ALTAR

Was it a good or bad election for the nation’s million or so gays and lesbians? Here’s my verdict, published by the National Times today (a joint venture of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age).  It’s going strong with the most comments of all opinion pieces today.

The start could hardly have been worse. Tony Abbott felt threatened by us, a Family First candidate linked gay marriage to child abuse, and Penny Wong sounded weak in defending Labor’s policy against marriage equality. Things started to look up when Greens’ vocal ‘equal love’ campaign was rewarded with a record vote. When Andrew Wilkie tabled a conscience vote on marriage as a priority the picture looked even better. Now the Labor-Greens agreement now leaves gays waiting (hopefully) at the altar.

The way forward is clearning a conscience vote on a Private Members Bill – but let’s not kid ourselves how tough that campaign will be …

(UPDATE: Good news in that the Greens promise to re-introduce Marriage Equality bill on first day of Parliament.)

Continue reading →

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