A majority of Australians support
giving gay and lesbian couples the right to marry, The Sydney
Morning Herald reported.
According to the latest Nielson poll,
nearly sixty percent of Australians are supportive of The Greens'
efforts to legalize gay marriage.
Twenty-three percent of people surveyed
said they strongly support the institution's legalization, while
thirty-three percent said they support it.
Sixteen percent said they were opposed
and twenty-one percent said they were strongly opposed. Five percent
of respondents said they neither supported or opposed it and one
percent said they didn't know.
Greens leader Bob Brown said the poll
showed that there is widespread support for marriage equality in
Australia.
“I confidently predict we will see an
end to discrimination and the marriage laws during this period of
government,” he said.
Prime
Minister Julia Gillard has said she will not allow a conscience vote
on an upcoming gay marriage bill, sponsored by Greens Senator
Sarah Hanson-Young. Without her endorsement, Labor lawmakers are
required to vote the party line and against the measure.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott also
opposes gay marriage.
“It's Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott,
the leaders of our country, who are falling well behind [on the
issue],” Hanson-Young said.