by Rex Wockner
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Nearly 80 percent of Australians support letting legislators vote their consciences rather than their party's position on same-sex marriage, an Oct. 22 poll found.
The Galaxy poll was commissioned by Australian Marriage Equality and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
It found that 62 percent of Australians support letting same-sex couples marry and 80 percent of people between 18 and 24 support gay marriage.
"(Prime Minister) Julia Gillard and (Opposition Leader) Tony Abbott cannot ignore the majority of Australians who believe same-sex couples should be able to marry and the even greater majority who want a conscience vote on the issue," said AME spokesman Alex Greenwich.
PFLAG's Shelley Argent added, "If Catholic countries like Spain, Argentina and Portugal can right this wrong, then why can't Australia?"
For more information, see freevote.org.au.
