Australia: Tasmanian Liberal party condemned for voting to oppose equal marriage
The Tasmanian Liberal party has passed a motion reaffirming the party’s opposition to same-sex marriage.
At the party’s state conference yesterday, a resolution was passed supporting the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
The move came after a national same-sex marriage bill was shelved earlier this month, just days before it was due to be debated, due to opposition from the national Liberal party.
Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott is a staunch opponent of equal marriage, but has been under pressure from the progressive wing of his party to allow MPs a free vote on the issue.
The Greens Senator for Tasmania, Christine Milne, told SBS: “They want to take us back to discrimination, and as far away as possible from equal opportunity.”
Rodney Croome of Australian Marriage Equality said: “At a time when countries like the UK and the US are moving forward on marriage equality it is shameful that the Tasmanian Liberal Party wants to take us backwards.
“The majority of Tasmanians who support marriage equality will be appalled that the Liberal Party has upheld discrimination in one of our core social and legal institutions.”
