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| Marriage equality rallies: Malcolm Turnbull says yes is a vote for 'fairness' | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Malcolm Turnbull has thrown his support behind the “yes” vote in the same-sex marriage debate, telling like-minded Liberals and Nationals it is a question of “fairness”. | Malcolm Turnbull has thrown his support behind the “yes” vote in the same-sex marriage debate, telling like-minded Liberals and Nationals it is a question of “fairness”. |
| Addressing the New South Wales Liberals and Nationals for Yes campaign launch in Sydney, Turnbull said this change had already happened in many countries around the world. | |
| “In any one of those nations has the sky fallen in, has life as we know it ground to a halt, has traditional marriage been undermined and the answer is plainly no,” he said. | “In any one of those nations has the sky fallen in, has life as we know it ground to a halt, has traditional marriage been undermined and the answer is plainly no,” he said. |
| Turnbull was joined at podium of the the launch by New South Wales Liberals including the former premiers Barry O’Farrell and Nick Greiner; the former NSW Coalition leaders Kerry Chikarovski, Peter Debnam and John Brogden; as well as Sydney city councillor Christine Forster, who is the sister of the former prime minister Tony Abbott. | |
| The room of about 130 people, mostly young Liberals and Nationals, applauded when Forster took to the podium. | |
| Forster said she had already set a date for her marriage to her partner, Virginia Edwards – 2 February 2018. Forster said they set that date with the plan to get married in the British consulate. | |
| “I do not trust our federal leaders to get this done,” she said of her thinking at the time. | |
| But she said if the “yes” vote wins the postal vote and the federal parliament makes the change, she will get married under Australian law. | |
| “That is what we want to do,” she said. “And that is what so many other Australians want to do.” | |
| Greiner spoke of lesbian family members who were unable to marry while Brogden spoke of gay neighbours who played in important role in his childhood. Debnam spoke of the realisation he and his wife had when they considered what would happen if one of their children or grandchildren was gay and wanted to marry. | |
| All of the speakers described marriage equality as a fundamentally conservative value – one that they wanted to extend to all loving couples. | |
| “This is not a cause that divides along party political lines,” Turnbull said. | |
| He said he was “utterly unpersuaded” by the idea that his 38-year-long marriage to his wife, Lucy, could be undermined by gay couples. | |
| “The threat to marriage is not gay couples, it is a lack of loving commitment,” he said. “Whether it is found in the form of neglect, indifference, cruelty or adultery. | |
| “If the threat to marriage today is lack of commitment then surely other couples making and maintaining a commitment sets a good rather than a bad example.” | |
| Rallies in support of same-sex marriage will be held in various cities on Sunday afternoon. | Rallies in support of same-sex marriage will be held in various cities on Sunday afternoon. |
| At church with Christians For Marriage Equality. They're going to today's Sydney #marriageequaility rally #abc730 pic.twitter.com/5gK1GULWSv | |
| Sending 😘🌈💕✨🦄 to the fabulous LGBTIQ folks and allies in Sydney rallying for marriage equality. The message is simple: #VoteYES for us all. pic.twitter.com/u5n34vXmUj | |
| SYD | Marriage equality rally this Sunday 10 Sept @ 1pm, starting at Sydney Town Hall. Bring flags, placards & kids!https://t.co/PbLAJXMjNM pic.twitter.com/uYoLmQxCpb | |
| The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, will address the rally in Sydney. | The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, will address the rally in Sydney. |
| The survey forms with the question “Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?” will be mailed to voters from this week. They will have the option to tick a “yes” or “no” box. | The survey forms with the question “Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?” will be mailed to voters from this week. They will have the option to tick a “yes” or “no” box. |
| The result of the survey will be announced on 15 November, followed by a vote in parliament on a private member’s bill if there is a majority “yes” result. | The result of the survey will be announced on 15 November, followed by a vote in parliament on a private member’s bill if there is a majority “yes” result. |
| How to contribute | |
| You can share your marriage equality images and videos by clicking on the blue “contribute” button on this article. You can also use the Guardian app and search for “GuardianWitness assignments”. | |
| Struggling with the app? You could always email us on guardian.witness@theguardian.com instead. | |
| GuardianWitness is the home of readers’ content on the Guardian. Contribute your video, pictures and stories, and browse news, reviews and creations submitted by others. | |
| • Australian Associated Press contributed to this report |