FACT SHEET ON GROWING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY

FACT SHEET ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY CONSCIENCE VOTE

FULL GALAXY POLL RESULT 2010

FULL GALAXY POLL RESULT 2009

CASE FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN AUSTRALIA

 

 

MEDIA RELEASE
22 October 2010

MARRIAGE EQUALITY CONSCIENCE VOTE
SUPPORTED BY FOUR IN FIVE AUSTRALIANS

78% of Australians believe there should be a conscience vote on allowing same-sex couples to marry, according to a national opinion poll released today.

The poll also found an increase in support for marriage equality with 62% of Australians supporting the reform, up from 60% last year.

The poll was conducted by Galaxy research and commissioned by Australian Marriage Equality (AME) and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).

AME spokesperson Alex Greenwich and PFLAG national spokesperson Shelley Argent OAM called on both major parties to listen to the Australian people and allow a conscience vote on the issue.

"Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott cannot ignore the majority of Australians who believe same-sex couples should be able to marry and the even greater majority who want a conscience vote on the issue", Mr Greenwich said.

PFLAG national spokesperson, Shelley Argent, said "if Catholic counties like Spain, Argentina and Portugal can right this wrong then why can't Australia?"

The Galaxy poll also showed that 80% of Australians aged between 18 and 24 support same-sex marriage and 72% of households with children aged under 18 were also in favour. 74% of Labor voters and 48% of Coalition voters support equality.

Support for a conscience vote is uniformly high with 80% of Labor voters and 75% of Coalition voters supporting it.

AME has established a website to allow people to directly contact the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition to call for a conscience vote: www.freevote.org.au

Full polling results can be viewed above.