PLEBISCITE – AUSTRALIA

Let voters decide on migration: Hanson

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 28-Jun-18

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson wants a plebiscite on the issue of immigration, arguing that the general public has had no input into Australia’s migrant intake. Hanson intends to introduce a bill when federal parliament resumes in August, and says any such plebiscite should be held in conjunction with the next election rather than via a postal ballot. Several Coalition MPs have called for a reduction in the annual migrant intake, including former prime minister Tony Abbott and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.

CORPORATES
ONE NATION PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE, LOWY INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Australians are voting in favour of same sex marriage

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Oct-17

A special Roy Morgan Snap SMS Survey taken on 6-8 October shows that 61.5% of Australians are voting "Yes" in favour of same-sex marriage in the postal plebiscite. Some 17.5% are voting "No", while a further 21% did not answer the question or have no intention of voting. Although these results are slightly inconclusive on the exact margin of the final result, they do provide a degree of certainty that the plebiscite will be carried nationwide. Analysis of supporters of various political parties shows that 92% of Greens supporters and 77% of ALP supporters are voting "Yes", compared with just 40.5% of Liberal supporters and 33% of Nationals supporters. Support for the change is also consistent across the country, with clear majorities in all six States opting to vote "Yes". The State with the largest support for the change is Victoria, in which 69.5% of respondents are voting "Yes", ahead of Western Australia and Tasmania (63.5%).

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Marriage poll nearly 80% done

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Original article by Adam Gartrell
The Age – Page: 1 : 3-Oct-17

Polling undertaken on behalf of the Equality Campaign has found that 77 per cent of Australian electors have already voted in the postal plebiscite on same-sex marriage. The survey of 1,000 people shows that 69 per cent of electors aged 18-24 have returned their survey form, while 17 per cent of people in this age group have filled in their form but have yet to return it. The majority of young people are expected to vote in favour of same-sex marriage. Some 80 per cent of people aged 65+ have also returned their survey form; support for the traditional view of marriage is expected to be high among this age group.

CORPORATES
THE EQUALITY CAMPAIGN, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN LOBBY, SKY NEWS, REACHTEL PTY LTD

Next battle: same-sex campaign rules

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 8-Sep-17

The Federal Government will shortly begin distributing ballot papers for the postal plebiscite on same-sex marriage after the High Court ruled that it can proceed. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten have urged all Australian electors to participate in the voluntary survey. The Government is drafting the rules for the eight-week public campaign on the issue of marriage equality, while there is growing concern about the potential impact of legalisation of same-sex marriages on religious freedom.

CORPORATES
HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATIVES, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

TV networks seek clarity over postal survey ads

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 5 : 8-Sep-17

Free TV Australia wants the Australian Communications & Media Authority to provide advertisers with clarification regarding the rules on broadcasting ads with political content during the postal plebiscite on same-sex marriage. This follows a recent controversy over the lobby group’s move to ban a Father’s Day ad because its lack of a "political authorisation" tag was a breach of broadcasting rules.

CORPORATES
FREE TV AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY, DADS4KIDS

$1m poll could do job of $122m plebiscite

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Original article by Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 9-Aug-17

Pollster John Scales of JWS Research has questioned the cost of the Federal Government’s proposed postal plebiscite on same-sex marriage. Scales argues that the estimated cost of $A122m is excessive, and his firm could poll 1,000 people in each federal electorate with a margin of error of 3.1 per cent, and at a cost of less than $A1.1m. Scales notes that postal votes have similar limitations to public opinion polls, adding that there was a response rate of just 47 per cent for Australia’s last postal vote in 1997.

CORPORATES
JWS RESEARCH PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Gay marriage vote is left at the altar

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 30-Aug-16

The Australian Government will not have sufficient numbers in the Senate to pass its enabling legislation for a plebiscite on same-sex marriage, after Derryn Hinch and the Nick Xenophon Team decided to vote against it. The Australian Labor Party and the Greens had already committed to rejecting the legislation, and favour a direct vote by Parliament on the issue rather than a plebiscite. The legalisation of same-sex marriage is now unlikely to be on the political agenda again until after the next federal election.

CORPORATES
NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN MARRIAGE EQUALITY INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Too late to hold plebiscite this year: electoral body

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Original article by Rachel Baxendale
The Australian – Page: 4 : 2-Aug-16

The Australian Electoral Commission’s submission to a Senate committee suggests that there would be insufficient time to organise and hold a plebiscite on same-sex marriage before the end of 2016. The submission estimates that the entire process would take 29 weeks, but there are just 21 weeks left in the calendar year. The Special Minister of State, Scott Ryan, recently expressed his view that a plebiscite could still be held this year.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, SKY NEWS, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Plebiscite a mandate if Coalition wins: PM

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Original article by David Crowe, Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 6 : 21-Jun-16

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten continues to favour a parliamentary vote on the issue of same-sex marriage. He has committed to introducing legislation within his first 100 days in office if the Australian Labor Party wins the 2016 election. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in turn aims to hold a plebiscite on the issue by the end of the year if the Coalition is returned to office. A recent survey by Griffith University showed that 70 per cent of respondents support a plebiscite.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY. CENTRE FOR GOVERNANCE AND PUBLIC POLICY