Tasmanian Labor Party Backs Marriage Equality

The Tasmanian Labor Party passed a motion over the weekend in support of marriage equality, a move that sends a strong signal to the Australian Labor Party four months in advance of its federal conference.

Tasmania became the first state branch of the Labor Party to support marriage equality in 2009, but the motion passed Saturday marked a new step by asking the federal conference to embrace the same position. The ALP is scheduled to discuss marriage equality at its national conference in December, but Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said she does not support any changes to the platform.

According to The Mercury, "Tasmanian Labor senator Carol Brown said the vote in Launceston yesterday was a major boost to efforts to change the national platform and paved the way to removing the last remaining piece of legislated discrimination against same-sex couples."

All state and territory branches of the ALP have passed similar motions except New South Wales, which sent the question to the national conference. Later this month, federal MPs will report to the House of Representatives about recent consultations with their constituents on marriage equality.

The Tasmanian Labor Party also called for allowing same-sex couples to adopt children during its conference over the weekend.