Plebiscites, Gym-Shaming And The Problem With Comedy.

The one advantage to the plebiscite is that if won, and I think it would be, no one can seriously question the validity of it. On the other hand doing through Parliament votes, means that gay marriage can be voted in, then a few years later voted out. Even if that doesn't happen it does mean that people can forever challenge the validity of it and whether the majority want it or not. Plebiscite means it is done and dusted, either way.

I very much doubt the yes people are concerned about LGTBI sentiment being drummed up, after all that will happen if the Parliamentary vote is yes, you will see at least a few weeks of serious resentment from the no people. The reality is that the Greens are scared a plebiscite will come back as no, that's why they are against it. In the words of Gough Whitlam, "crash or crash through". I think the Greens should grow a set and be brave and do it, as I think highly unlikely they will lose a plebiscite, if the Catholic Irish can win it, then I think we more secular Aussies will do it too.

I doubt it will get through as a parliamentary vote right now, until the Liberals are out, which may take 3 years, because strategically it would look very bad for the Liberals to vote for it, because essentially they are going back on an election promise, which was to allow the people to vote on it. The Greens saying no also makes them look churlish, like they don't trust the Australian public to vote for it, and indeed it could be argued that Aussies voted in Liberals based on the plebiscite mandate. Though reality is that as much as I think the majority of people in Australia are for gay marriage, I actually think it only affects a minority vote, I think the majority vote more on issues that directly affect them, such as medicare, jobs etc. You can be in favour of something but that doesn't necessarily make you vote for that issue at the ballot box, an example is that the majority of people believe that animals should be treated humanely but how many of them actually voted for the Animal Justice Party? Not many as compared to those who voted Labour or Liberal.

I think the Greens have made a strategic mistake in blocking the plebiscite, because they need to keep this issue, that affects a minority, in the spotlight for the next three years. This will be hard to do, because they can't argue that the Libs are against it, becuase the Liberal government can answer back to them, well we said we would have a plebiscite, this was our mandate that we took to the ballot and were relected, yet you blocked it.

Personally I do think the plebsicite is a waste of money, rather it just be a parliamentary vote, but the point I am making is that I think the Greens have made a strategic mistake and need to seize the day, because who knows in three years time when Labour is in the electorate may have moved on to another issue that is of more interest to them. Right or wrong that is the reality of politics.

I hope the law changes and you can marry here if you want to. The state of play at the moment is if the pollies didn't hold a plebiscite having gone to an election with that as the policy, passing it in parliament will cause much more backlash and let people reasonably question the credibility. But if we have one, it passes and the law changes, which I'm sure it would with a Yes vote, then the debates over and we all move on.