90,000 signatures tabled as nail in the coffin for doomed plebiscite

Australian Greens LGBTIQ spokesperson Janet Rice will today table a petition from campaign groups just.equal and All Out, signed by more than 90,000 people calling on the parliament to stop the expensive and unnecessary plebiscite and allow a free vote on marriage equality.

“This petition is further proof of the public’s overwhelming support for consigning the Abbott-era plebiscite to the bin,” said Senator Rice.

“The Greens have laid out three steps to marriage equality that will get us to the end of this long and bumpy road, and the first is to break up with the plebiscite which we will do this week.

“Step 2 is to get engaged with cross party legislation for marriage equality, and step 3 is to say “I do” to marriage equality in the parliament.

“The Prime Minister must recognise that the defeat of the plebiscite isn’t the end of this issue, and that public pressure will continue to grow until he breaks free of the conservatives on his backbench and allows a free vote.”

Just.equal spokesperson, Ivan Hinton-Teoh, said "Our petition is a timely reminder that the LGBTI community and our allies do not want a plebiscite under any circumstances and that we want parliament to pass marriage equality through a free vote without delay.

"We call on the Senate to vote down a plebiscite as soon as possible so the nation can get back to debating the substantive issue of allowing LGBTI people full legal equality.

"I hope our petition will remind federal parliament that the path to marriage equality is a free vote and Australians want them to take that path immediately," concluded Mr Hinton-Teoh.

Media Contact: Steph Hodgins-May 0400 352 935