Former NSW Liberal premier, the patron of Liberals and Nationals for a yes vote, says conservatives should back equality as great institutions evolve

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Nick Greiner, the federal president of the Liberal party, has called on Australia’s conservatives and liberals to support marriage equality, arguing great institutions evolve all the time and marriage is no different.

The former New South Wales Liberal premier has also criticised the debating tactics of leaders of the no campaign, saying their attempt to convince Australians that same-sex marriage, if enshrined in law, would damage religious freedom is deliberately misleading.

Tony Abbott, Catholic archbishop Anthony Fisher and Lyle Shelton from the Australian Christian Lobby are prominent voices in the no campaign who have been making such an argument.

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“The deliberate conflating of issues only happens when people know they cannot win an argument on its merits,” Greiner has written in the Australian. “Conflation should be called out for what it is, a debating device.

“When I, and decades later archbishop Anthony Fisher, were in the St Ignatius College debating team, we were taught if we didn’t think we could win on the merits we should attempt to move the debate to more favourable grounds. This is what is happening here.

“Any case for enhancing protection for religious freedom exists today and is not dependent on a change to marriage laws.”

Greiner, who has been named the patron of Liberals and Nationals for yes – the Coalition’s yes campaign for the same-sex marriage survey – said marriage equality was a matter of “heart and soul” for Australia and widening the definition of marriage would deliver stronger families and communities.

He has asked Liberals to meditate on the wisdom of conservative doyen Edmund Burke, who believed institutions and states must be allowed to evolve because “a state without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation”.

“Marriage is not the same as it was a century ago,” Greiner said. “The Marriage Act has been changed 20 times since it was introduced by the Menzies government in 1961. Quite simply, static institutions die.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Street artists paint a rainbow mural in Melbourne in support of marriage equality. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

He has also argued that comparable countries had all embraced same-sex marriage now, and the sky had not fallen in.



“Today, more than a billion people live in countries that have embraced the freedom to marry for all their citizens. Britain, the US, New Zealand and Canada are often compared to Australia,” he said.

“Each of these nations in the ‘Anglosphere’ now permits same-sex marriage. In these countries, as well as Catholic Spain, Ireland and Argentina, the religious celebration of marriage has also been protected.

“The experience in these countries has been that no one has become more gay, or less married, and the achievement of the reform has been a unifying moment for people across the political spectrum.

In another appeal to Liberals, Greiner also said a Coalition government was the best government to change the Marriage Act, because it would ensure that religious protections for ministers of religion, marriage celebrants, and the use of church grounds and services, would be assured.

“Such freedoms are at the forefront of legislation drafted by [Liberal] senator Dean Smith and MPs Tim Wilson, Warren Entsch, Trent Zimmerman and Trevor Evans.

Religious freedom must be protected before marriage survey ends, Liberal senator says Read more

“I do not believe religious freedom would ever be taken seriously under a Labor/Greens govern­ment, which is why this change should happen under the Coalition.

“Through a combination of the freedom of religion enshrined in the constitution and legislation that specifically protects religious institutions, any genuine concerns will be addressed.”

He has urged Liberals to think of their family and friends when participating in the marriage equality postal survey saying, and has appealed to their sense of a fair go.

“Together let’s celebrate the many achievements of this government and focus on the real challenges and opportunities our nation faces.”

On Sunday, the Western Australian Labor government increased funding for WA’s LGBTI community, making a point of doing it ahead of the postal survey.

It pledged $30,000 to the WA Aids Council to deliver increased mental health awareness and support, and $250,000 in suicide prevention training grants for community organisations.