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Australia to hold 'postal plebiscite' on same-sex marriage
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| Contributor | IndyGeorgia |
| Last Edited | IndyGeorgia Aug 11, 2017 10:40pm |
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| Category | News |
| Author | Lukas Mikelionis |
| Media | TV News - FOX News |
| News Date | Wednesday, August 9, 2017 06:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Australia is set to hold a nonbinding postal vote on same-sex marriage next month after the country’s Senate voted Wednesday against the government’s plans to conduct a compulsory public opinion vote.
The so-called postal plebiscite will be the first in Australian history. But it faces opposition from gay-rights activists and opposition politicians who are threatening to block the public’s vote and urge Parliament to vote on legalization of same-sex marriage without polling the people.
The conservative government led by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull tried to organize a compulsory plebiscite which would have gathered the votes of all Australians on Nov. 25 and cost around $135 million. The proposal was defeated in the Senate last November.
Following the defeat, the government came up with a suggestion to hold a voluntary plebiscite where the public would send their ballots by post between Sept. 12 and Nov. 7, costing the country $96 million.
Opponents of the proposal slammed the conservatives, claiming the postal result won’t represent whole society and will likely oppose the legalization of the same-sex marriage because younger adults aren’t familiar with the postal services.
The government hoped the prospect of a voluntary plebiscite, which doesn’t require the Parliament’s approval, would force politicians to reconsider their vote last year blocking the compulsory plebiscite. |
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