Of the more than four million Australians who took part in the marriage law postal survey, 61.6 per cent supported changing the law to allow same-sex couples to marry.
But the vote across Sydney’s west and south west was very different. Of the 17 federal electorates that recorded a majority no response, 12 were in Western Sydney.
They included Fowler, Chifley, Greenway, McMahon, Mitchell, Parramatta and Werriwa – and all but one of these is held by a Labor MP.
Parramatta MP Julie Owens said she feared her electorate’s overwhelming 61.6 per cent no vote would cause division amongst her constituents.
“We have to fully respect people are allowed to have different views on this,” she said. “I doubt everyone is feeling good in Parramatta at the moment; they know they’re not the majority opinion but they’re not bigots and the LGBTQI feel they’re own community has rejected them.
“We don’t need that.
“We have people who in the main are good people making decisions that are best for them and on this we disagree with the rest of the country.”
Ms Owens said while she expected the survey would return a no vote, the strength of it did surprise her.
Regardless, she said she would not follow their lead when the same sex marriage bill comes before Parliament before the end of this year.
“I never assumed I would have to vote the way my electorate voted. In fact, if we voted with our electorates, this vote would be lost,” she said.
But Ms Owens said she would work to ensure the bill protected the “fundamental right” of churches to manage marriage ceremonies, adding “That’s their right to decide. That is incredibly important to me.”
Like Ms Owens, McMahon MP Chris Bowen said he would not reflect the view of his electorate in parliament. Voters there returned a resounding 64.9 per cent no vote.
“Sometimes politicians have to lead and make difficult decisions and explain to people why we are doing things that people disagree with,” the shadow treasurer said.
“Sometimes we are accused of not doing enough of that. Well here you have a bunch of Labor MPs saying marriage equality is the right thing.”
Member for Greenway, Labor’s Michelle Rowland is among them. She said after deep thought, she would vote contrary to the 53.6 per cent of people in her electorate (which covers Blacktown, Stanhope Gardens and Seven Hills) that voted no.
So too will Fowler’s Chris Hayes. Despite being a long-time opponent of same-sex marriage, he said he would “not act to frustrate or delay the passage of legislation to give effect to the community’s decision.”
How Western Sydney voted
NO VOTE
Fowler: 63.7 per cent
Chifley: 58.7 per cent
Greenway:53.6 per cent
McMahon:64.9 per cent
Mitchell: 50.9 per cent
Parramatta: 61.6 per cent
Werriwa: 63.7 per cent
YES VOTE
Hughes: 58.4 per cent
Hume: 58.6 per cent
Lindsay: 56.2 per cent
Macarthur:52.1 per cent
Macquarie: 63.9 per cent
