Australian govt backs away from gay marriage vote this year

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Sun Mar 6, 2016 3:19pm EST

RPT-UPDATE 1-Australian govt backs away from gay marriage vote this year

By Jane Wardell and Peter Gosnell

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull backed away from a pledge by one of his senior ministers on Sunday that the government would hold a public vote on same-sex marriage later this year if it is reelected.

A spokeswoman for Turnbull said the government was committed to holding a plebiscite, or public vote, as soon as possible after the election but had not committed further to the timing.

Attorney-General George Brandis had earlier said the vote would occur before the end of the year and that the legislation would immediately be pushed through parliament if the public voted in favour of same-sex marriage.

"We will be going to the election promising a plebiscite before the end of the year," Brandis told Sky News.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/australia-politics-gaymarriage-repeat-up-idUSL4N16E0C4

[uriel1972]

1. The "Public Vote"...

would have been a non-binding plebiscite. A total waste of time as the parliament would need legislation introduced and voted on anyway.

Just a delaying PR tactic left over from the Abbott Government.