Australian Quakers voice concern over plebiscite
Friends in Australia write to prime minister to express concern
Quakers in Australia have written to Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister, to urge him to put marriage equality before the Australian parliament rather than holding a plebiscite on the issue.
In 2013 Australia’s highest court ruled that ‘under the Constitution and federal law as it now stands, whether same sex marriage should be provided for by law is a matter for the federal parliament.’ Despite that, in August 2015 the Australian government promised to hold a plebiscite on the issue.
Australia Yearly Meeting presiding clerk Julian Robertson expressed the concern Quakers had with holding a plebiscite that would not involve compulsory voting or be binding on parliament.
He wrote: ‘Experience of debates on recent social issues, as well as the recent election campaign, has shown that extreme public statements are made on all sides, which show little respect for those with differing views and reflect badly on those making them.’ This, he said, ‘is not only divisive at a national level but can also be very damaging for some of the individuals who are the subject of the debate.’
He noted that Australian Quakers have celebrated same sex commitment ceremonies since 1994.
