Finally, it is over and the results are in. The result of the same-sex postal survey is entirely predictable and mirrors polls taken over the last five years. The question remains, why has the will of a large majority of the people been ignored by the parliament for so long?
This has been an entirely unnecessary vox pop of the Australian people on a question so few are actually invested in. It has been ugly and divisive. The best thing we can say about it is at last it is done.
It should never have happened. The parliament should have acted or indeed it might not have acted and we would all be a lot better off than we are today. But the political needs of the Coalition had to be sated and so the Australian Bureau of Statistics was dragged into oversee a $122 million non-binding, voluntary postal survey that may yet come to little or nothing.
The cost of it has to be counted more than in simple dollar terms. It has to be measured somehow in more nebulous but more important ways. The loss of national unity, a lid lifted on bigotry and prejudice where discrimination against one group of people was openly countenanced by community leaders.
Full column here.
I don’t think the vote was a bad thing at all.
nor do i see much evidence that people question the very existence of gays, it’s just that a significant minority of people do not support a legal and political proposition that same sex people should have a marriage recognised at all. as that was a conventional and uncontroversial opinion until the day before yesterday that is not surprising.
Given the history of this, that is that it wasn’t on the horizon thirty years ago, it wasn’t an option anywhere twenty years ago, and seven years ago both major political parties in Australia still opposed the idea, then public opinion has moved remarkably quickly and we should be grateful for that.
what about we enjoy that it got up and get on with it without bagging those who hold a different view.
I prefer to listen to gay men and women’s experiences rather than assume, mate. “Only those who have known discrimination truly know its evil.” That was Noel Pearson. Everyone else is just guessing.
Gay men in particular have lost they’re lives over it. Kicked to death by grubs. Until you can experience that by walking down the street hand in hand with the missus, I agree, we’re all just guessing.
I now hope all those who voted yes will get behind aboriginal recognition in the constitution. AS FRIGGIN IF!
You could experience it in Saudi
You’re right JTI & Razor, many gay men have lost their lives over discrimination but many more have experienced hate crimes just for being born a homosexual. Nobody chooses to be gay.
I’m a sister who saw firsthand the injuries, the bruises & the gut-wrenching emotional pain in the aftermath of regular bashings inflicted by police grubs who targeted the streets around a gay nightclub in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. Too many young men who went out to have a fun night were subjected to these unlawful assaults more than once & it continued in the lock-up cell until cash money was handed over to get out.
He suffered terribly, my mother wept & worried herself sick – in fact, still worries about him & homophobia despite & even because of yesterdays poll result.
I’m much more optimistic but as a family we won’t forget nor forgive those thugs.
“Nobody chooses to be gay.”
Bella, come on. You are an intelligent lady with her heart in the right place, but seriously, for some it is a lifestyle choice. I am tempted to put some arguments forward but I don’t want to upset anyone. For instance, there are a lot of bisexual men around, anyone care to argue they did not choose to be bisexual?
‘Poofter Bashing’ was pretty common in the Valley Bella and yes, many years ago, police were involved. I can put my hand on my heart now and assure you things have changed dramatically.
I’ve heard of a lot of experiences and the worst assumption is to stereotype all individuals just because they tick a particular box in a census, or similar. Why patronise/generalise people because they are gay or aboriginal or different?
I get the impression that some people think that all gay voters voted yes. How condescending, or worse, is that?
Discrimination and its evil can caste a wide net. It doesn’t discriminate on what it can discriminate on.
Life’s precious but we don’t need to be.
We Tony Abbott now become the most hated man in Australian politics ? …
Not all he held a position. 40 something percent of the population agreed with him. I agree with him on lots of things, just not this one. Life isn’t black and white.
From being the most loved!
JTI, I note you use the term large majority at 62/38. Brexit was considered a narrow majority at 52/48. My opinion would be that a large majority would be 70+
A 24 point margin is a big win in a two horse race.
K’Noath
mate, we have both been around politics for a long time, a 24 point majority happens in a local government election, in a national poll it is unheard of,
and it was a double majority, that is a majority of voters and a majority of states, as required if it were a referendum,
Winx didn’t win by this far.
at least not always
I’d love the odds……
I can see you are not a betting man. When U look at the % of the population that voted with still many that did not and/or voted informally this is a cracker of a result for the YESSIES Bald.
It is not over until it is over as Carrack sings ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbK6-_FZL4M )
and the Hard Right, that handful of selfish lemons that have held the country to ransom these past couple of years, will not wear the result no matter what. It is like trying to inform my mate on climate change. The science? Rigged The graphs? Made up The consensus of scientists? Fake. No matter what U put up to the Hard Right they just don’t wanna know. They will delay, spoil, amend just to destroy Tbull’s leadership or what is left of it. Sad Cafe really Bald
voltaire says:
NOVEMBER 15, 2017 AT 4:54 PM…ahem…Is this your fastest delivery off your short run or your long run?
For those of us who will never be affected directly & personally by these issues, it may be helpful to recall what Adam Goodes had to say, to get a glimpse into how chronic hatred burns a hole in the soul of the people on the receiving end.
“It felt like I was in high school again being bullied. I don’t think I’ve ever been more hurt by someone calling me a name. Not just by what was said, by who it came from.”
Smith’s Bill got a swift passage to debate tomorrow.
Absolutely! Good onya HU.
A great day. Now let’s get on with running the country!
Ok but do we have a quorum , all the Brits , Kiwis and whoever have left…
Personally I think the vote sends the very clear message that the majority of Australians support marriage equality. I believe this preferable to having the decision made for them by a parliament whom we have little confidence in. And whilst Jack states the surveys or polls have long said the proposal had majority support, a lot of people have lost faith in these post Brexit and Trump.
I agree that the potential for messiness begins now with the devil being in the detail but the onus now is for all parties to get this through parliament tout de suite.
Milton, I agree. What I found interesting was the amount of older people ( and I’m talking abou 55 and over here) who not only bothered to vote….75-80% in a lot of electorates, but voted YES. Same too with the 18-19 year olds. Disappointing that the generation (25-35 year olds) who it was stated would be affected the most by the outcome had the lowest turnout. Maybe they were too busy demonstrating and threatening others to vote in the affirmative, that they forgot to vote themselves.
Pollsters always predict that people over 65 are more likely to be conservative in their opinions. They may have to revisit those assumptions.
Interesting the difference in vote between Warringah and Mackellar here on the northern beaches Penny, admittedly here in Mackellar our cross to bear is the insular peninsular but it was still 68% yes compared to the 75% yes in Warringah, Tones better watch himself.
55 and older?
This vote blew a heck of a lot of assumptions out of the water Penny. Particularly assumptions regarding who are conservatives and who aren’t. It proved, in my opinion, that left and right are at the extremes and the middle ground is where it is at. The progressive / conservative paradigm is only for the intellectually lazy. It exists at the fringes but not in reality.
I feel Turnbull will now feel the heat of the Right Wingers big time, Mr Insider and given his slender hold on power one must ask will he survive? I was indeed touched by the outpouring of emotion from the likes of Penny Wong when the Survey results were announced. Surely if we cant do something in our lifetime to help our fellow man than what is life about. Not that the Right Wing “nutters” will agree, unless of course we do things “their way”. I cannot honestly say I know how it must feel to be persecuted against but it must not be a good feeling.
I noticed Chinese Sam Dastyari ensured he was available for every picture!
JTI,
Actually I disagree with you on just about all counts – but I don’t require counselling and really don’t think it is important as to result whereas the process is important.
Recognition of gay relationships: fine – or even great.
Open discussion to allow opinions to be ventilated: great – and if a few people heard things they don’t like (on either side),, that is probably good for them to realise that other points of view exist (as opposed to the echo chamber too many inhabit).
Were any people’s minds changed? Who knows but the nature of mature consideration was present?
Will the country move on? Just about definitely with the minority prepared to accept the majority decision (even if some of them would still gainsay or even reverse it if it was up to them).
Over 80% voting in an optional ballot is a surprising triumph for democracy – and puts to bed any issue of a “silent majority quelled by political correctness on the issue”.
As for counselling one way or the other, snowflakes have to face the fact that they don’t get their own way all the time (what next : counselling after an election?).
Some gay people did not want the attention and some did….. so what?
Some felt very strongly either way but the very free society that allowed opinions to be heard is good for all (but note that the media was conspicuously onesided on this and some – including certain columnists in the Oz- would have denied free speech to the contrarians or the right to determine the manner of the passing anyway).
My twin objections were to the claim of human right of “marriage for equality” (it was same sex marriage or gay marriage and should have been called just that) and with the process of legislative fiat potentially redefining a term to suit current political trend by a government and the putative precedent it has set…. I would certainly have voted for same sex marriage or gay marriage as opposed to redefining a word. At the same time I am comfortable with language metamorphing over time (even metastasizing if that is not too close to home) but not by big brother of government imposing a change…. I guess that is just one of many reasons I would never stand for election, much less be elected!
Of course we have not seen the Bill (and yes it would have been nice if the niceties had been covered earlier) but the result of the poll should be a simple piece of legislation while the remainder of the ancillary rights should be considered en bloc in the various categories of legislation into which they fall (and provoke rethinking on such matters of free speech, discrimination etc so they are given proper regard in context as opposed to a kneejerk reaction….and of course it will be interesting to watch various people of all sorts of persuasion caught by logically inconsistent positions).
Enjoy the football tonight…go the Socceroos
@ Bill Grieve last blog
My bloke tell’s me “tell her she’s dreaming” (The Castle), all the time.
The ‘no’ adds were full of snarling people spewing unrelated lies. Nasty types. I am so glad I wasnt born to those kind of people, it would have been awful. I saw Eric Ebetz obfuscate on what he thought the vote meant, it means nothing to him, and he will still vote no, even though his electorate, that he should represent, says different. I dont know why these folks still have jobs to be honest.
coz voters is stoopid
Don’t mention the name “Eric Abetz” within a bulls roar of me wraith grrrrrrrrrrr. Cheers
wraith, just be careful what you wish for, the western Sydney Labor MPs would hate to have to vote like their constituents!
a good result, but let’s not bugger it up with partisan barracking.