Two years after she was rolled as Australia’s Prime Minister, Julia Gillard has changed her mind about same-sex marriage. She opposed the reform while she in power, but has now told The Michael Kirby Lecture in Melbourne she has changed her view. "In my time post-politics, as key countries have moved to embrace same-sex marriage, I have identified that my preferred reform direction was most assuredly not winning hearts and minds,” she stated. She added she believed the Coalition would have eventually allowed a conscience vote on the issue and marriage equality would have become law. "My position would have been overtaken by history, something which would have caused me no heartburn," she said. "Now, given the discussion of a plebiscite or a referendum, I find myself in a world where these assumptions have been upended." Australian Marriage Equality national director, Rodney Croome, says the group welcomes her comments, as it shows that even the most high profile opponents of marriage equality can open their hearts to the reform. "But we urge other political leaders not to wait until it is too late for them to show leadership in parliament, as Ms Gillard has done."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 27th August 2015 - 11:33am