Gay marriage: Australia's businesses take out full-page ad backing same-sex partnerships

Updated

Some of Australia's biggest businesses have thrown their weight behind the push for gay marriage, with a full-page newspaper advertisement today.

Corporations including Google, Qantas, Optus and the ANZ and Commonwealth banks have put their names to a list of Australian businesses backing marriage equality.

Others supporters include law firms Slater and Gordon and Gilbert and Tobin, and the Football Federation of Australia.

Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome said the corporations approached the organisation send the message that Australia's business community was behind marriage equality.

"It was about corporate saying it's not just about us individually supporting this, we want to do it collectively and send the strongest possible message," Mr Croome said.

He said corporations understood the importance of respect for diversity in the workplace and equality for staff and customers.

"They're also very sensitive of course to Australia's international reputation ... that is at risk of suffering if we don't catch up to countries that are most like us — New Zealand, the UK, the US, Canada and now, Ireland," he said.

The same-sex marriage debate has gained momentum this week on the back of Ireland's hugely successful referendum at the weekend.

This morning, Coalition MP Warren Entsch said a number of Labor and Greens MPs had said they were willing to co-sponsor a same-sex marriage bill.

"I have spoken to members across parties and independents, all have agreed that they're happy to put their names and signatures to this," Mr Entsch said.

"It's just a matter of finalising it."

Labor is preparing to introduce its own bill on Monday and Mr Entsch said he was working on a cross-party solution and expected to have a draft bill ready by August.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has emphasised any moves to legalise gay marriage must be owned by the Parliament, not a single party.

Mr Abbott's sister Christine Forster told the ABC earlier she believed gay marriage would be legal in Australia by the end of the year.

Ms Forster, who is engaged to a woman, told Lateline she thought her brother knew the change was inevitable.

But she said she did not think her brother's personal opposition to gay marriage had changed.

"At the end of the day I'm sure he will understand that this is good and fair for everybody and it will be great for Australia," she said.

Mr Abbott said on Wednesday the decision on whether or not Liberal MPs should have a free vote on the issue would be decided in a party room debate.

He also indicated there should be bi-partisan support for the issue.

Topics: marriage, community-and-society, lgbt, sexuality, business-economics-and-finance, australia

First posted