Labor Party's Support for Same-Sex Marriage Angers Many Australians
A Christian lobby group in Australia is claiming the Labor party's support for same-sex marriage will doom them in the next elections.
The Australian Labor Party is a political party that has been governing Australia since 2007. The Australian Christian Lobby that predicted the Labor’s demise vowed to make it happen.
The Christian lobby declared that it would direct their anger toward the Coalition to make sure the Labor’s position on same-sex marriage does not change. The managing director of the Christian Lobby will also gear-up their efforts for a lobbying campaign next year when a vote is taken according to the The Age.
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Jim Wallace, the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby, said they would let it be known what different positions the Labor party and the Coalition have on same-sex marriage.
“It seems to me a desire for political suicide. The voters they are trying to get from the left would have come anyway on preferences, and now they have lost the centre,” said Wallace.
The managing director of the Christian Lobby said the Labor party’s position is a complete “U-turn” from their normal position on the issue. He expects a private member’s bill on the issue when Parliament resumes Feb. 7
According to a Galaxy poll, four in five people in Australia believe the Coalition should take a “conscience” vote on the matter.
Australian churches are watching closely as they wait to see what type of legislation will be introduced.
“We will oppose as best we can. What's going to happen now is that pressure will be brought on the Liberals to allow a conscience vote,” said Presbyterian Church spokesperson David Palmer.
New South Wales federal Labor backbencher John Murphy, who is opposed to same-sex marriage, said the Labor party could lose eight seats in New South Wales and 12 seats in other states over the issue.
“Whilst we will lose very few votes from the gay community, from the conservative community who support the Labor Party, they will leave us in droves,” said Murphy.
A bill for civil unions or “a significant amendment to the Marriage Act” could be next. Australian Catholic Bishops Conference secretary Brian Lucas said the church would view each act as different from each other.
