A study from the University of Melbourne has found out that there’s actually only one electorate in Australia that has a majority opposing same-sex marriage.
ONLY ONE. IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY!
Don’t get us wrong; there’s a helluva lot that have a big percentage of ‘NO’ voters, but one place can say that over 50% of their voters oppose marriage equality. One of the researchers, Shaun Ratcliff, said that the poll showed that most Australians support change.
“Based on our data and other polling, it appears a plebiscite would pass easily.”
All the data came from the 2013’s ABC ‘Vote Compass’, the online tool which you most likely used when trying to figure out who to vote for in the Federal Election.
Maranoa, which is in rural Queensland and held by Liberal MP David Littleproud, is the only electorate with a majority ‘NO’ vote.
The list of states most opposed to marriage equality are as follows:
Maranoa*, QLD (LNP, David Littleproud)Groom, QLD (LNP, John McVeigh)Flynn, QLD (LNP, Ken O’Dowd)Hinkler, QLD (LNP, Keith Pitt)New England, NSW (Nationals, Barnaby Joyce)Kennedy, QLD (Katter’s Australian Party, Bob Katter)Grey, SA (Liberal, Rowan Ramsey)Barker, SA (Liberal, Tony Pasin)Parkes, NSW (Nationals, Mark Coulton)Braddon, TAS (Labor, Justine Keay)
*The only seat where a majority was opposed.
Comparatively, these are the 10 electorates that are the most supportive of marriage equality:
Sydney, NSW (Labor, Tanya Plibersek)Melbourne, VIC (Greens, Adam Bandt)Grayndler, NSW (Labor, Anthony Albanese)Wentworth, NSW (Liberal, Malcolm Turnbull)Melbourne Ports, VIC (Labor, Michael Danby)Wills, VIC (Labor, Peter Khalil)Gellibrand, VIC (Labor, Tim Watts)Batman, VIC (Labor, David Feeney)Higgins, VIC (Liberal, Kelly O’Dwyer)Brisbane, QLD (Liberal, Trevor Evans)
There’s a clear difference in voting between metropolitan and rural areas; the study found support for change was below average in most rural areas, but above average in inner city seats.
While there’s only one electorate that definitively opposes SSM right now, a bunch of seats could end up opposing if undecided voters followed the majority and voted ‘NO’. E.g. Groom, Flynn, Hinkler in QLD, and Barnaby Joyce‘s seat of New England.
Regardless, the ‘Vote Compass’ data in the study showed that the majority wanted the change, and most Australians would vote ‘YES’.
“There has been a majority in favour of same-sex marriage for quite a long time now.I don’t think anything’s inevitable but suspect on this particular issue we’re going to see same-sex marriage legalised. It’s just a matter of when,” said Ratcliff.
Source: The Age.
Photo: Pacific Press / Getty.
