Gay marriage support up but it won’t change poll

Chris Johnson | The Age | August 24, 2013

Campaign: Labor MP Andrew Leigh (left) places a symbolic voting card in a  ballot box during a pro-gay marriage demonstration in Canberra this month. Photo: Rohan Thomson

On Sunday the Labor Party will launch its first campaign on marriage   equality, complete with letterboxed advertisements, online video and  celebrity  endorsements.

Prime Minister  Kevin Rudd announced during the first leaders’ debate  that he would introduce a  marriage-equality bill within 100 days if  Labor were re-elected. The party  followed this with a social media  campaign on gay marriage, called “It’s  time”.

On Sunday it will ramp up the campaign. Pop celebrities Ricki-Lee, the  Veronicas, Fun Machine, and Darren Hayes from Savage Garden have endorsed the  campaign.

The Veronicas.

Finance Minister Penny Wong, who is in an openly gay partnership,  said  the  issue of marriage equality had a greater focus in this  election because so many  Australians believed it was time.

  “As a nation, we have always progressed towards greater equality, and   marriage equality would be another important step in ensuring all  Australians  are treated equally,” Senator Wong said

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