2017-09-06
Ms Pennicuik (Southern Metropolitan) — On 26 August I was heartwarmed and very excited to attend the Equal Love marriage equality rally and mass illegal wedding in Melbourne. I have attended these rallies and illegal weddings since they first started following the change of the Marriage Act 1961 by the Howard government in 2004. It was just fantastic to see tens of thousands of people pack out the streets of Melbourne. You could not see the start or the end of the rally as it progressed down La Trobe Street, down Elizabeth Street, up Bourke Street and back into Swanston Street. It is so heartwarming to see people from all walks of life and all age groups turning out in the streets of Melbourne in support of the 'Yes' campaign, even though of course I am of the view that we should not be spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a postal survey. I know this is before the High Court now, and it will be interesting to see what the result of that challenge to it will be, but the message that was sent by the rally on 26 August was of mass support for the 'Yes' campaign from the people of Melbourne. I thank Australian Marriage Equality and Equal Love for their work on this issue over the past decade.