Labor won't silence same sex marriage advocates

Labor leaders have a standard response to questions about gay marriage which is frustrating but not silencing its advocates. They could make a more constructive response. First, Labor leaders say, we believe that the Marriage Act should stay in the same way that it is now, so marriage would be defined as marriage between a man and a woman (Prime Minister Julia Gillard on ABCs Q&A August 9). Kevin Rudd under pressure on Q&A on May 22, 2008, said that was his personal view. Penny Wong on the same program on July 26 this year refused to give her personal view. Graham Richardson silenced further questions with a tirade about Labor Party people who disagreed with this stuff.