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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Australians Back Same-Sex Marriage
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Most people in Australia are in favour of establishing rules to allow gay and lesbian couples to enter wedlock, according to a poll by Galaxy Research. 57 per cent of respondents support same-sex marriage, while 37 per cent are opposed.
Support for granting same-sex couples the same legal rights as heterosexual partners in common-law marriages stands at 71 per cent.
In August 2004, Australia amended the legal definition of marriage as being "exclusively between a man and a woman", effectively preventing gay and lesbian couples from getting married. Tasmania is currently the only Australian state that allows unwed and same-sex couples to enter registered partnerships and receive limited rights. Victoria is expected to have a similar system in place by the end of this year.
On Jun. 21, the government's Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission released a report that condemned 58 federal laws for discriminating against same-sex couples in areas such as financial and work-related entitlements.
Just hours prior to the announcement, Australian prime minister John Howard reiterated his opposition to changing the definition of marriage, saying, "We are not in favour of discrimination, but of course our views on the nature of marriage in our community are very well known and they won't be changing."
Polling Data
Do you agree or disagree with same-sex couples having the same legal rights as heterosexual partners in common-law marriages?
Agree | 71% |
Disagree | 23% |
Not sure | 6% |
Do you support or oppose allowing same-sex couples to get married?
Agree | 57% |
Disagree | 37% |
Not sure | 6% |
Source: Galaxy Research
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 Australians over the age of 16, conducted on Jun. 16 and Jun. 17, 2007. Margin of error is 2.7 per cent.