The issue of same-sex marriage has been reignited again in Australia, with the Greens and the Nick Xenophon Team declaring their intention to oppose the Government’s bill to enable a plebiscite on the matter be held.
It remains to be seen if Labor will also block the bill, although Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and other Labor parliamentarians have been critical of the people’s vote since former Prime Minister Tony Abbott promised it in 2015.
Needless to say, since Mr Abbott’s promise of a people’s vote, activists for gay marriage have whipped themselves up into a frenzy. Despite Ireland’s referendum on same-sex marriage which saw it passed in 2015, in Australia, advocates for the change in marriage legislation have spread fear, lies and threats over the prospect of a people’s plebiscite. This has happened while gay marriage proponents have declared that Australians overwhelmingly support same-sex marriage.
The go-to argument that opening up the debate on same-sex marriage will foster and legitimise “hate” is no more than a smokescreen over a deep-seated contempt for democracy and the will of the people. In fact, this contempt extends to the very people who comprise the voting public and the values they hold.
Ideally, these self-appointed engineers of culture and society would prefer that the levers of democracy be removed from the hands of those they regard as ignorant plebs, and be reserved for only themselves.
A similar assault on democracy was waged in the United States by way of the very same issue. While many states in the union had legislated to reserve marriage as it has historically and generally been understood in the West and through most cultures, all it took were five Supreme Court justices to overrule state laws and the values and will of ordinary Americans.
This assault on democracy which is occurring around the Western World is, however, not the end of the story. Citizens and voters throughout the West are in revolt against the bullies that comprise the anti-democratic political class.
Brexit and the Trump phenomenon are testimony to this popular revolt which is occurring around the world, and in Australia, with the re-election of Pauline Hanson to Federal Parliament, and the opening up of a much-needed discussion on Islam. One does not need to agree with everything Trump or Pauline Hanson says to acknowledge the importance of this popular revolt which is occurring
While the anti-democratic forces are still at work abroad and at home, especially around issues like gay marriage, the game is now up. Should Labor oppose the gay marriage plebiscite and support a politicians vote, it will condemn the party to election wilderness, which Bill Shorten likely knows. Likewise, Malcolm Turnbull would be unwise to back-pedal from the promise of the plebiscite which he made as an election promise in the July 2016 election, should he like to remain in the PM’s job. Anti-democratic ideologues and agitators – the game is up.
Photo by Feral78 