MEDIA RELEASE - MARRIAGE POSTAL SURVEY RESULTS SHOW A STRONG YES VOTE - 15 NOVEMBER 2017

15 November 2017

The Marriage Law Postal Survey results announced today show Australians have voted overwhelmingly in favour of marriage equality. 

61.6% of Australians voted in favour of changing the law to allow same sex couples to marry. 

In Greenway, 46.4% of eligible residents voted in the postal survey to change the law and 53.6% voted not to change the law. 

The survey produced high participation rates, with 79.5% of Australians and 76.5% of Greenway residents participating in the survey. 

"The results show Australians are overwhelmingly in favour of marriage equality", said Michelle Rowland MP, Federal Member for Greenway.

"Labor did not want Malcolm Turnbull’s expensive postal survey, which is set to cost taxpayers in excess of $100 million that could have been better spent on local projects and services."

"It is now beyond doubt that Australians just want the Parliament to get on with its job and vote on the matter," Ms Rowland said. 

"Whilst the national result was strongly in favour of supporting marriage equality, the results in Greenway were more evenly split. This result is consistent with the responses I have received in seeking my own feedback from local residents over the past 7 years."

"As I have said previously, I have thought deeply about this issue and widely canvassed the views of local residents."

"I acknowledge that many residents have strong views one way or the other for or against marriage equality based on factors such as personal experience, religious beliefs or cultural norms. Each and every one of those people should be respected for their views."

"Personally, a conversation I had with a mother in Seven Hills provided me with an important perspective.  Her son is on active service in the Australian Navy and he wants to marry his partner. This man is putting his life on the line in service to Australia. Who am I, and who is any person, to say that this man should not be entitled to marry the person he loves?"

"The Australian people have now had their say and the result is clear."

"I will be voting in support of marriage equality when it comes before the Parliament, hopefully before the end of this year", Ms Rowland said.