Tag Archives: Tony Abbott

AUSTRALIA: PM Tony Abbott Calls Meeting To Discuss Free Vote On Same-Sex Marriage Bill UPDATE: Free Vote Rejected

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: Coalition MPs are holed up at Parliament House in a marathon meeting to debate same-sex marriage. Prime Minister Tony Abbott called a special joint Liberal-National parties meeting on Tuesday afternoon so government MPs could discuss whether they should have a free vote on the reform. However the decision to include National MPs – who are …

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AUSTRALIA: Parliament Might Hold Free Vote On Same-Sex Marriage In August

Via Reuters: Australia will soon decide whether to legalize same-sex marriage under a cross-party bill which may allow parliament members to vote according to their conscience, rather than along party lines, media reported on Wednesday. The debate over whether to follow countries like the United States and Ireland in recognizing same-sex marriage has strained relations between Australia’s socially conservative Catholic …

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AUSTRALIA: PM Tony Abbott Rejects Call For Referendum Of Same-Sex Marriage

Via ABC News Australia: Prime Minister Tony Abbott has dismissed the idea of a referendum on same-sex marriage in Australia, after Ireland voted in favour of amending the country’s constitution on the issue. All of Ireland’s 43 constituencies except one voted in favour of the measure, with the final figures showing 62 per cent of votes in favour of the …

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AUSTRALIA: Senate Agrees To Conscience Vote On Same-Sex Marriage

Via Australia’s 9 News: The Australian Senate wants all members of parliament to have a conscience vote on gay marriage. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young won upper house support on Wednesday for a motion stating every person in federal parliament should be able to freely decide their position on marriage equality. Senator Hanson-Young said it was time for Prime Minister Tony …

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AUSTRALIA: Prime Minister Responds To Child’s Letters On Marriage Equality

“Dear Abbey, Thank you for letting me know your views on same-sex marriage. I appreciate you letting me know about your own family. In my family, I have a sister with a female partner. My sister’s partner is a loved member of our family. While I respect your views on same sex marriage, I hold a different view. My personal …

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Abbey’s Fifth Letter To Tony Abbott

Fourth letter. Third letter. Second letter. First letter.

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Abbey’s Fourth Letter To Tony Abbott

Still no reply. How rude. Third letter. Second letter. First letter.

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Abbey’s Third Letter To Tony Abbott

A little terse this time, huh? Source. Second letter. First letter.

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Abbey’s Second Letter To Tony Abbott

She did vow to write a letter every day. This time it appears she got some help with her spelling. Source. Yesterday’s letter.

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AUSTRALIA: Dear Tony Abbott…

JMG reader Michael writes on his blog: “It really doesn’t get more heartfelt or political than this letter written by our 8 year-old niece Abbey today. Tony, listen to the kids!”

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AUSTRALIA: Parliament To Vote On Marriage, MPs To Get “Conscience Vote”

Via the Sydney Morning Herald: Parliament is heading for a historic vote on same-sex marriage in which all MPs will be free to vote according to their conscience. The Coalition party rooms are likely to decide on a conscience vote during the coming spring session of Parliament, with one Liberal MP saying it is now ”almost certain” the party will …

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Tweet Of The Day – God

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Australian PM Tony Abbott To Glower From Audience At Lesbian Sister’s Wedding

From Australia’s Daily Telegraph: Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he will “do the right thing” and attend his gay sister’s wedding but could never support the marriage. And his sister Christine Forster’s engagement to partner Virginia Edwards will not dim his Government’s fight against the country’s first same-sex marriage laws in the ACT. “If there’s a ceremony of some kind, …

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AUSTRALIA: Prime Minister Tony Abbott May Challenge Marriage Bill In ACT

Newly elected Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has indicated that he may attempt to challenge the just-introduced marriage equality bill for the Australian Capital Territory. The ACT is Australia’s version of Washington, DC. The federal government is considering whether it should block the ACT’s proposed same-sex marriage legislation. The ACT government introduced a bill to permit same-sex marriages into the …

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AUSTRALIA: Anti-Marriage Conservative Tony Abbott Elected Prime Minister

The same-sex marriage movement suffered a blow in Australia today when Tony Abbott was elected prime minister in a vote that news outlets are calling “decisive” and  “a landslide.” Abbott, a former boxer, Rhodes scholar and trainee priest, promised to restore political stability, cut taxes and crack down on asylum seekers arriving by boat. But it was frustration with Labor’s …

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