SSM Plebiscite

[ElwoodBlues1]

A 122 million dollar waste of money and an exercise in divisiveness.
Folks are getting their "knickers in a knot" over an inevitability.

If the YES vote is successful we'll have a vote by MP's and SSM will be legalised.
If the NO vote is successful a private members bill will be introduced in a short space of time. A vote will be taken and SSM marriage will be legalised. It will pass because enough LNP members will cross the floor to support it.
Failing that a Labor government will pass SSM marriage within a short space of time once elected.

So why a plebiscite?
The conservative opponents aren't as dumb as some folk reckon.
In fact they're quite smart politically.
They knew that in any plebiscite the passion and the emotion of YES voters would be far greater than that of NO voters. It means so much more to the YES folk.

As a result the "extremism" was always going to come from that side of the debate, not the NO side as was first thought.

Their hope (and it may still be realised... because it is trending that way) is that the behaviour of the YES campaigners would be enough to turn the swinging /non committed (there are lots who don't feel strongly either way) voter.

So a 60/40 or 50/50 is where the vote will end up...but in the end it will make no difference and SSM will be "Done an dusted" within eighteen months.

Agree entirely.....its going to happen regardless, what we dont need is a 122 mill waste of money, a lot of wasted time in Parliament and focus lost
on more important issues.

[PaulP]

Agree entirely.....its going to happen regardless, what we dont need is a 122 mill waste of money, a lot of wasted time in Parliament and focus lost
on more important issues.

Agree. If they wanted to redirect 1/122th of that budget my way, I doubt they'll miss it much, and I'll sure as hell use it better than they have.

[mateinone]

So a 60/40 or 50/50 is where the vote will end up...but in the end it will make no difference and SSM will be "Done an dusted" within eighteen months.

I agree, this plebiscite should never have occurred. It was a weak option by a weak government.
I don't care if this ends up 20/80 in AGAINST SSM (which it obviously will no). SSM is as you put it, inevitable and this is a waste of tax payers money.

I think it will get up with 55-60% of the vote and Turnbull is hoping that he will be able to emphatically declare it as his win as he has listened to the people speak.

Yet in the process it has caused far more angst and divisiveness than this country every needed.

[PaulP]

I agree, this plebiscite should never have occurred. It was a weak option by a weak government.
I don't care if this ends up 20/80 in AGAINST SSM (which it obviously will no). SSM is as you put it, inevitable and this is a waste of tax payers money.

I think it will get up with 55-60% of the vote and Turnbull is hoping that he will be able to emphatically declare it as his win as he has listened to the people speak.

Yet in the process it has caused far more angst and divisiveness than this country every needed.

All unfortunately true MIO.

[LP]

Their hope (and it may still be realised... because it is trending that way) is that the behaviour of the YES campaigners would be enough to turn the swinging /non committed (there are lots who don't feel strongly either way) voter.

Shhh Lods,...................it's supposed to be a secret! :o

PS; You forgot to mention the differences between the Inner City, Outer Suburban and Regional voters!

The media debate is dominated by Inner City suburbanites, while the Outer Suburbs Aussie battlers barely get a mention and the Regional voters are basically left invisible! I won't go into the demographics here, because I'll either get labeled a homophobe or racist!

[Baggers]

A 122 million dollar waste of money and an exercise in divisiveness.
Folks are getting their "knickers in a knot" over an inevitability.

If the YES vote is successful we'll have a vote by MP's and SSM will be legalised.
If the NO vote is successful a private members bill will be introduced in a short space of time. A vote will be taken and SSM marriage will be legalised. It will pass because enough LNP members will cross the floor to support it.
Failing that a Labor government will pass SSM marriage within a short space of time once elected.

So why a plebiscite?
The conservative opponents aren't as dumb as some folk reckon.
In fact they're quite smart politically.
They knew that in any plebiscite the passion and the emotion of YES voters would be far greater than that of NO voters. It means so much more to the YES folk.

As a result the "extremism" was always going to come from that side of the debate, not the NO side as was first thought.

Their hope (and it may still be realised... because it is trending that way) is that the behaviour of the YES campaigners would be enough to turn the swinging /non committed (there are lots who don't feel strongly either way) voter.

So a 60/40 or 50/50 is where the vote will end up...but in the end it will make no difference and SSM will be "Done an dusted" within eighteen months.

Ripper post, Principal LODS.

As each day passes, and the media circus continues, I find myself more sickened and angry at the Machiavellian process placed upon this nation by an ignorant, cowardly and downright sinister far right faction.

[flyboy77]

Why the plebiscite?

1. it delays things - yet again - giving those right wing nutters more time to plan further obsfucation;
2. Look at the history of referendums - the status quo invariably wins.

Not this time.

[Lods]

Shhh Lods,...................it's supposed to be a secret! :o

PS; You forgot to mention the differences between the Inner City, Outer Suburban and Regional voters!

The media debate is dominated by Inner City suburbanites, while the Outer Suburbs Aussie battlers barely get a mention and the Regional voters are basically left invisible! I won't go into the demographics here, because I'll either get labeled a homophobe or racist!

Just an aside point on the demographics.
The very distasteful carriage graffiti on a Sydney train in the article link Paul posted featured the numbers 2200
Now we have no idea of the identity of the perpetrator (age religion etc). but

That's the Bankstown postcode.... a rather diverse group of folk.
It's a young population

from Wiki

Demographics

Bankstown has one of the most ethnically diverse communities in Australia. Bankstown is considered as one of the most multicultural areas in the country with over 60 different languages spoken by the people of this suburb.

In the 2016 census, Bankstown recorded a population of 32,113 people: of 50.7% female and 49.3% male.

The median age of the Bankstown population was 32 years, 6 years below the national median of 38.

37.1% of people living in Bankstown were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were Vietnam 14.1%, Lebanon 6.2%, China 5.3%, Pakistan 3.1% and Bangladesh 2.1%.

17.7% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 21.1% Arabic, 19.0% Vietnamese, 4.9% Mandarin, Urdu 4.0% and Cantonese (3.6%)

The religious make up of Bankstown is 28.9% Islam, 17.7% Catholic, 12.9% No Religion, 11.1% Buddhism.[1]

I'd find it a bit hard to believe his/her views are representative of the area.

[mateinone]

The graffiti on the train doesn't represent the NO vote. It might represent a small number of the NO voters, but it would be incredibly small.
The same goes for that rock through the window.
Some would say the bullying from teh YES side represents a small number of YES voters, but it isn't true.

Both of those instances are disgusting and as bad as the attacks by the YES voters.

In an ironic twist, those attacks are good for the YES campaign of course, because the single area where the YES campaign has most angered people has been in their attacks on people and free speech. Incidents like the Sydney Uni incident..

This NO campaign has not been run on bullying & hate from most of what I have seen. It doesn't mean what they are campaigning for is the right cause, but in the main most people I have seen showing any inclination of voting no, have done in a respectful manner, the same can't be said for those on the other side of the campaign.

These incidents allow the YES campaign to draw some heat away, so ironically the morons who have done it only help the YES cause.

As I have said ad nauseam, people on both side of this campaign have an obligation to allow for normal healthy discussion on a topic that is clearly divisive. No family, whatever their stance deserve to have their house attacked.
No person Gay or Straight should have to get on a train and read that sort of disgusting graffiti. THAT is HATE SPEECH and the perpetrators, if caught, should be charged to the full extent of the law.

I can't believe this still has a month to go...  : 

[DJC]

I heard a young woman on the ABC radio yesterday.  She earnestly explained that if marriage equality was introduced sex education in schools would be changed to teach children how to engage in homosexual sex.  When questioned on her statement, she maintained that is what has happened in all countries where same sex marriage is allowed.  :