While Noosa Council prepares to formally support marriage equality at their ordinary meeting at 6pm on Wednesday 19 July, local state and federal members have voiced their views on the subject.
Federal Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien said he continued to support the Coalition’s view there should be a plebiscite on whether to legalise same-sex marriage despite that bid being defeated in the Senate last November.
He said he respected people on both sides of the debate who had strong feelings on the issue, and that’s why it was important every voice was taken into account through a plebiscite.
The results of a question on same-sex marriage asked in a survey conducted by Noosa MP Glen Elmes in 2015 have only been revealed this week on ABC radio. In the question ‘do you support same-sex marriage’ the majority or 47 per cent said yes, 41 per cent said no, 10 per cent were unsure and two per cent had no response. Mr Elmes said same sex marriage was a Federal Government issue to resolve.
“The Queensland State Government passed a Bill to allow for civil unions, and I supported it,” he said. “It is now up to the Federal Government to take it to the next stage, which they have promised to do.”
Marriage equality advocate Robin Bristow said there was more state governments could do to lobby the Federal Government. He said Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia had all passed motions supporting marriage equality and the ACT had gone further. The Marriage Equality (Same Sex) Act 2013 was an Act of Parliament that legalised same-sex marriage in the ACT.
The Sunshine Coast Pride Network is inviting residents to bring their rainbow flags and come along to the council meeting tonight at 6pm in the council chambers at Tewantin to “witness history in the making” as councillors vote on the motion.
