This was published 11 years ago
Kevin Rudd's support for gay marriage 'could swing marginal seats'
By Dan Harrison and Judith Ireland
Campaigners for same-sex marriage believe Kevin Rudd's support for change could make a difference in a number of marginal electorates, including the Liberal-held marginal seats of Brisbane, held by Teresa Gambaro, and Sturt, held by Christopher Pyne, as well as the Labor-Greens contest of Melbourne.
Mr Rudd announced during Sunday night's debate that a re-elected Labor government would introduce a bill to legalise same-sex marriage within 100 days of taking office, as he sought to capitalise on Mr Abbott's opposition to marriage equality.
Australian Marriage Equality released a national survey it commissioned of 1000 people, which found 30 per cent of voters would be more likely to vote for Labor as a result of Mr Rudd's stance on the issue, while 19 per cent said they would be less likely to vote for Labor.
The Prime Minister's support for gay marriage is particularly popular with younger voters. A little more than half of those aged 18 to 24 were more likely to vote for Labor, compared with 18 per cent for those over 50.
"The message to Coalition candidates is that by opposing marriage equality you are effectively saying to young Australians 'Don't vote for me'," Australian Marriage Equality national convener Rodney Croome said.
Mr Croome said his hope that Mr Abbott would allow a conscience vote had been strengthened by the Opposition Leader's comments about the importance of the issue.
Liberal MPs including Malcolm Turnbull, Simon Birmingham, Dean Smith and Wyatt Roy have previously called for a free vote.
Mr Croome said the nation had come a long way since 2010, when both leaders defended the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage. Australian Marriage Equality want MPs to form a cross-party working group to advance change, an idea supported by the Greens.
Meanwhile, Liberal MP Kelly O'Dwyer – a supporter of same-sex marriage – has defended Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's position on the issue.
As Labor MPs have a conscience vote on the issue and some are opposed, a bill would almost certainly be defeated unless Coalition MPs were also allowed a free vote.
"I support marriage equality," Mr Rudd said in Sydney on Monday. "I believe that if we're going to bring about that change, then we're going to need to have a free vote in the Parliament."
"Frankly in the year 2013 I think the time has come to put this acrimonious debate behind us."
Mr Abbott told reporters in Melbourne on Monday same-sex marriage was "an important issue," including to his sister Christine Forster, who is a lesbian.
But he said the priority of a Coalition government would be to address "bread and butter issues".
"To get cost of living pressures down, to get jobs security up, to build the infrastructure of the 21st century – they will be our priorities," Mr Abbott said.
Mr Abbott said if the issue were to come up again in a future parliament, it would be up to the Coalition party room to determine its position.
But Mr Abbott has made clear his strong opposition to change and has said he does not expect "much enthusiasm" among his colleagues to revisit the issue.
"I might as well be open and up-front with people, I support the existing definition and while my sister Chris has argued with me until she is blue in the face, and I expect she will continue to argue with me on this, I support the existing position. I pride myself on being consistent and I intend to be consistent," Mr Abbott said.
Interviewed on Fairfax Media's Breaking Politics program on Monday, Ms O'Dwyer, who declared her support for same-sex marriage in a parliamentary speech in March, said she was "entirely comfortable" with Mr Abbott's position.
"We have had a debate in the Parliament. He has quite rightly pointed out the fact that we honoured the commitment that we made at the last election. He also properly articulated the fact that if the issue does come up again in the new Parliament, it will be a matter for the new parliamentary party to determine how it is that everybody will vote. I'm entirely comfortable with that," Ms O'Dwyer said.