By ANEEKA SIMONIS
LIBERAL MP Jason Wood, who has not publicly declared his position on same sex marriage, will put his opinions aside and vote with his electorate.
Declaring his support for a conscience vote, the federal La Trobe MP will soon launch an electorate-wide poll on the issue and support the majority vote.
“The matter of same-sex marriage is one that people feel so passionately for or against, and I decided I really had to be as democratic as possible when a decision like this goes to the core of how people live their lives,” he said.
“This time rather than my decision leading the constituency of La Trobe, the constituency of La Trobe must lead my decision.”
Mr Wood said the vote could swing either way.
“In terms of their support or opposition for same-sex marriage, it really has been 50/50 at this point,” he said.
One constituent imploring Mr Wood to vote to change to the Marriage Act is 21-year-old Hayden Ostrom Brown.
The Upper Beaconsfield man, and recent National Leader of the Australian Democrats, said he knew he was gay from age 13 but spent years crippled with fear at the prospect of coming out due to perceived pressures of social disapproval.
He said these attitudes, which still haunt members of the gay community, are supported by marriage discrimination.
“Excluding gay people from marriage sends negative messages that hurt vulnerable, young gay people,” he wrote in an open letter to Mr Wood.
“It reinforces old stereotypes that same-sex relationships are less loving and stable, and that gay people are likely to grow old alone.
“By voting against same-sex marriage you’d be effectively saying that people like myself don’t deserve to be treated equally by the law, and such a position encourages further discrimination.”
Mr Brown said he was “encouraged” by Mr Wood’s declaration to support a majority vote which he hopes will support legislation changes.
“I hope that your vote will signal to myself, the many other LGBTI people in your electorate and to the whole of Australia, that we are valued,” Mr Brown wrote.
Mr Wood said his personal view will not be considered during the polling process.
“Doing that would take away the purely democratic element,” he said.
Vote cards will be placed in letter boxes across the La Trobe electorate.
Residents are being asked to vote for or against same sex marriage and send the card back to Mr Wood’s electorate office in Berwick.
Parliament has delayed voting on the same-sex marriage bill indefinitely, however early indications suggest the vote will take place in spring this year.
To request more vote cards per household in La Trobe, contact Mr Wood’s office.
Do you support changes to the Marriage Act? Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/PakenhamBerwickGazette.
