Labor’s Deputy Leader Tanya Plibersek has called on the party to stop pussy footing about on the issue of gay marriage and remove the arrangement whereby Labor MP’s have been given the luxury of a conscience vote on the issue. Labor’s platform supports same-sex marriage and Ms Plibersek believes it’s high time the party took positive action to support that policy. Ms Plibersek intends to raise the matter at Labor’s national conference in July.
The ramifications of forcing all Labor parliamentary members to support the party policy is, with some support from pro gay marriage Coalition members, the policy could become law with a vote of the National Parliament. This is something gay people and their supporters have hoped for, for quite a long time. With the majority of Australians now supporting gay marriage Tanya’s proposed action seems well overdue.

A self centered lot who wish to normalize sodomy and have no concept of a healthy family society.

Paul,

Do you oppose a conscience vote on the subject?
I thought that the Greens were all for conscience voting.

Perhaps the question could be put to the people at the next election, if the majority of voters are in favour of a travesty of marriage then it's a sure fire winner and all will be hunky-dory.

I can't see the advantages of marriage for homosexuals as at the moment two men who want to dally together can both get the full dole and still live together, if they marry then the payments will be cut; ditto for females.

I did watch "Q and A," last night and heard
Tania Plibersek's explanation regarding
the stand that she felt the Labor Party should
take on same-sex marriage. However, my personal
opinion is that she should have waited and
discussed this matter with her colleagues at
their July Conference. Many people have deep
religious beliefs on this issue - and possibly
a "conscience vote," would be a more appropriate
way to resolve this matter rather than the
"binding" vote that she is proposing which will
probably cause even further problems for the Party.

As MP's are the parliamentary representatives of the party, and therefore the grass roots membership, and if something has been voted as party policy, I cannot see why when it comes to the vote those MP's should be able to override party policy and vote against that policy. If on the other hand the party has no particular policy on an issue then MP's should have a conscience vote. The Labor Party like The Greens has a defined policy on gay marriage, the Coalition as far as I am aware have no defined policy. Or is one of Abbott's captains calls a defined policy.

I can only assume most homosexuals are public servants, & want to get married to take advantage of the public service pension schemes generous treatment of spouses. Otherwise why would anyone who could not breed set themselves up for all the disadvantages of mirage.

Thus the public service union are bring pressure to bear, forcing Labor to make a fool of itself.