Dubbo’s gay community is reported to be “quietly confident” that the $122 million Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey will deliver a majority “yes” vote.
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Spokeswoman Kris Stevens said it would then be up to politicians to put aside the dual citizenship “fiasco” and pass legislation in support of marriage equality though a conscience vote.
“We’re just quietly confident that we have the support of the majority of Australians and they are going to push this over the line,” she said the morning after the survey closed.
They do not not include Senator Eric Abetz who early on Wednesday morning said the response to the survey disproved the claims of “yes” campaigners that it would be a flop.
“The voluntary survey has received responses from almost 80 per cent of Australians, a strong endorsement of the government’s decision to take this issue to the Australian people,” he said.
Senator Abetz thanked the “thousands of volunteers across Australia” who had worked tirelessly in support of the “no” campaign.
“Like all, I am looking forward to seeing the final result next week and I remain hopeful of a “no” vote,” he said.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) closed the survey at 4.30pm on Tuesday. At 10am on Wednesday, November 15, the Australian Statistician will announce the results of the survey. They will be published at https://marriagesurvey.abs.gov.au/results.
About 12.6 million people or 78.5 per cent of eligible survey participants returned a survey form.
A poll conducted by the Daily Liberal in late October asking “Have you returned your Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey form?” showed 95.89 per cent of 73 respondents had done so.
In a new Essential Poll of 1792 people, published in The Guardian on Tuesday, 64 per cent of respondents said they had ticked the “yes” box.
Ms Stevens says the survey is “just a public opinion poll”.
She admits to being “nervous” as the countdown to the release of the survey results begins. “I really want this to happen,” Ms Stevens said. “I’m sick of waiting. I’m over it and I think so many other people are too.”
Ms Stevens said the nationwide quest for marriage equality would “not go away” if the survey returned a majority “no” vote.
