Premier Daniel Andrews and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to vote yes in marriage plebiscite

FEDERAL Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews have joined forces to urge Australians to vote yes in the gay marriage postal plebiscite.

Federal Opposition leader Bill Shorten is seen at a marriage equality rally at RMIT in Melbourne, along with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: Julian Smith, AAP Image.

FEDERAL Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews have joined forces to urge Australians to vote yes in the gay marriage postal plebiscite.

Appearing at a rally in support of marriage equality today, Mr Andrews also confirmed his government would provide an additional $500,000 to LGBTQ counselling and support services during the plebiscite.

Australians have until this Thursday to register to vote in the plebiscite.

Mr Andrews said Labor didn’t support the “postal survey”, but if it is going ahead “we might as well win it”.

“I’ve got a simple view when it comes to these things: love is love, fair is fair and equality is not negotiable,” Mr Andrews said.

“It’s here, it’s happening and we have to make sure we campaign hard and we win a firm majority to make the change that is obvious to so many of us, but not so obvious to those who form the federal government in Canberra.

“This postal survey will be damaging and hurtful and harmful for a lot of people.

“A lot of things will be said that are very painful. That’s why it’s important we extend care and support to those who are vulnerable at this time.”

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Bill Shorten speaks at a marriage equality rally at RMIT in Melbourne. Picture: Julian Smith, AAP Image.

Mr Shorten said voting yes “was an act of defiance to a bad lawmaking process”.

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Mr Shorten said the government was spending $122 million on an unnecessary survey.

He said voting yes “was an act of defiance to a bad lawmaking process”.

“Labor federally and Labor state, has no time at all for this process of differential lawmaking for LGBTI Australians and other Australians,” Mr Shorten said.

“How did it come to be that, when it comes to laws affecting LGBTI Australians, we have to go through a new and convoluted and expensive law making process?

“This is simply not fair.”

The call to enrol by Labor comes as the High Court is set to hear a challenge to the postal plebiscite on September 5 and 6 — just days before the vote.

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