NSW Greens MP and gay and lesbian spokesperson Lee Rhiannon has said Prime Minister Julia Gillard's failure to back same sex marriage shows that she is still part of the old Labor machine that fails to respect and promote human rights.
"The Prime Minister is out of step with the majority of Australians and will disappoint many people with her socially conservative position on marriage equality," Ms Rhiannon said.
A Galaxy Poll taken last year found 60 per cent of Australians support same-sex couples right to marry.
"Prime Minister Julia Gillard is sticking with a discriminatory policy that marriage only covers the union of a man and a woman.
"This looks like another case of new prime minister but same old out-of-date policies.
"Ms Gillard would have been widely applauded if she had had the courage to publicly back extending marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples.
“Ms Gillard's decision to shut the door on legalising same-sex marriages suggests that she is deeply conservative and is not prepared to advance social justice issues that should be the foundation for Australian society in the 21st century,” Ms Rhiannon said.
For more information, Lee Rhiannon 0427 861 568
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