Main | Monday, July 27, 2015

AUSTRALIA: Labor Leader Bill Shorten Promises Marriage Bill Within 100 Days If Elected Prime Minister Next Year

Gay Star News reports:
Australian opposition leader Bill Shorten has promised to introduce a gay marriage bill within his first 100 days if elected prime minister in 2016. ‘Same-sex couples have waited too long. Australia is trailing the world,’ the Labor Party leader said on Sunday (26 July). ‘The debate about marriage equality has simply gone on too long.’ The pledge came hours after he made a deal with Labor’s left faction to back a binding vote in favor of gay marriage if it is not legalized by the next parliamentary sessions. Shorten said gay marriage could still be legalized by the current parliament and called on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to give Liberal MPs a free vote on the issue. ‘What the Labor Party does with this resolution is we lay down the challenge to Mr Abbott and his Liberals: Please give your members of parliament a free vote so we can make marriage equality a reality now,’ Shorten said.
VIDEO: At the same Labor conference openly lesbian MP Penny Wong delivered a forceful speech on marriage equality, receiving a lengthy standing ovation. Watch this.

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