Good evening my fellow citizens.
By now you should have received your ballot papers to participate in the same-sex marriage survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
I encourage you to participate in this survey to make sure your voice is heard.
I also encourage you to vote YES.
And the reason is very simple: Because it is fair.
In the nation of the 'fair go' it is not fair for one group of Australians not to enjoy the same rights as another group of Australians - and those rights are: to have the right, under law, to marry the person that they love.
I know in my case, I would have found it intolerable not to have been allowed by law to have married my wife, Lucy, 37 years ago.
I would have seen it as a grave injustice.
Yet that injustice exists now for all same-sex Australians who want to get married.
We now have the opportunity to redress this injustice.
The survey asks one simple question: Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?
A YES vote from the Australian public will see the Government facilitate the introduction of a private members bill to legalise same-sex marriage and we will pass that bill into law before the end of this year.
Now you would have heard a number of arguments from those who are opposing same-sex marriage.
Unfortunately, many of those arguments are without any foundation and, in any event, are irrelevant to the question you are being asked.
As your Prime Minister, I feel it is my duty to deal with these falsehoods being expressed so you know the facts.
First, you have been told that religious freedoms will be adversely affected - this is false. 24 nations have legalised same-sex marriage and there has been no change to religious freedoms in those countries, and it will be the same case here in Australia.
Second, you have been told that freedom of speech will be curbed - this is false. There will be no change to your ability to express your opinions freely and with passion within the laws as they currently exist.
Third, you have been told that the children of same-sex couples are worse off than children of heterosexual couples - this is false. The Australian Medical Association and the Australian Psychologists Society have stated that there is no evidence to support that proposition. The well being of children is determined by the love of their parents not their gender.
Fourth, you have been told that schools will be compelled to introduce a whole range of initiatives that will adversely affect your children's education - this is false. There will be no interference in how schools implement their education curriculums as a result of legalising same-sex marriage in Australia.
Once again, I state, the only question you are being asked to express an opinion on is: Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?
My fellow citizens, I encourage you to participate in the survey and I encourage you to vote YES and I do so because it is fair.
Good evening and thank you for your attention.
END OF ADDRESS.
It is my view that Malcolm Turnbull needs to make such an address right now.
He will earn the respect of the nation and it might just save his Prime Ministership.
Over to you, brother.
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