Freedom of choice in Australia

Australia says yes to same-sex marriage in historic postal survey

Australia has taken a decisive step towards legislating marriage equality by Christmas after 61.6% of voters in an unprecedented national postal survey approved a change to the law to allow couples of the same sex to marry.

The result, announced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, will lead to consideration of a same-sex marriage bill in parliament with the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, promising marriage equality should be law by Christmas.

With a turnout of 79.5% the result in the voluntary survey is considered a highly credible reflection of Australian opinion and gives marriage equality advocates enormous momentum to achieve the historic social reform. 

Australia’s chief statistician, David Kalisch, announced the results at a press conference in Canberra at 10am on Wednesday, revealing 7,817,247 people voted in favour and 4,873,987 voted against.

Poll finds 63% of Australians believe both ministers of religion and celebrants should be able to refuse to officiate

In the US this is generally billed as a religious liberty thing.

But people are more varied than that, and just as some people have moral but not religious objections to war, some people may prefer not to participate for moral or other non-religious reasons, or no real reason at all.

So, an individual liberty issue?

Freedom to associate or not?

Are we past the time when we need or much want the federal government to prohibit racial or other forms of discrimination among parties none of whom are the government, itself?

Just asking.

Most Australians surveyed in the latest Guardian Essential poll think both ministers of religion and celebrants should be able to refuse to officiate at same-sex marriage weddings, while 43% think businesses should be able to refuse service.

The new weekly poll of 1,803 voters showed Australians were divided about whether additional protections are required when marriage equality is legalised by the Australian parliament following last week’s historic majority yes vote by the public.

A solid majority of the sample – 63% – supported allowing ministers of religion and celebrants to refuse to officiate same-sex weddings, with 27% opposed.

That concept had majority support across all major voting groups – Coalition (74%), Labor (56%), Greens (53%) and voters supporting someone other than the major parties (75%).