Same-sex marriage debate could last decades

Surely Australia as a society has matured enough to vote on this issue rather than continue to leave the matter as a political ping pong match?

How long will this go on for in Australia? Picture: RICHARD MILNES

THIS debate has gone on for too long and is just a political tennis match annoying Australians.

This week, the Australian Labor Party leader Bill Shorten announced the ALP would not support the Coalition's plebiscite on gay-marriage to go forward.

OK, so the Federal Government would spend a pile of money on allowing all Australians (on the electoral roll) to have their say about a change in society that is long past due.

The debate is causing mental health problems for a lot of people and is a topic that others struggle to accept due to their beliefs.

I don't personally agree with the amount of money that it would cost (Labor says $200m), particularly when the budget includes publicly funded advertisements for both sides of the argument.

After all, this matter has been publicly debated for over a decade. Surely Australia as a society has matured enough to vote on this issue rather than continue to leave the matter as a political ping pong match?

As for Mr Shorten's argument that he has been advised that going forward with the plebiscite would be harmful to the mental wellbeing of LGBTI community members - aren't they already struggling with issues that are linked to this debate?

Would it not be better to simply get the debate finalised via an all Australian vote and be done with it?

If we don't allow Australians to finally have a say at the polling booths about whether this already diverse society is ready to legally allow same-sex couples to marry, this debate will still be in parliament in 20 years time.

Originally published as Same-sex marriage debate could last decades