Election campaign launch:

– website with positions of virtually all candidates, www.vote4love.com.au
– large-scale social media campaign to reach millions of voters
– 500,000 voters to be leafletted across seven seats: Brisbane, Perth, Curtin, Sturt, North Sydney, Wills, Batman (sample leaflets linked below)
– Ben and Jerry’s icecream announced as major, corporate partner
– party representatives vow to work together to achieve equality, statements from Louise Pratt, Sarah Hanson-Young and Christine Forster included below

Australian Marriage Equality today launched its federal election campaign unveiling a website that has the stance of virtually all candidates and a plan to target 500,000 voters across seven key inner-city electorates.

Australian Marriage Equality national director, Rodney Croome, said,

“The aim of our campaign is to have as many pro-marriage equality candidates elected as possible by informing marriage equality supporters how they can vote for love.”

“Marriage equality is a high priority for many Australians, especially young Australians, and could make the difference in key seats.”

At today’s launch, US-based icecream company Ben and Jerry’s announced it has partnered with AME to run a high-profile social media and shop-front campaign.

Ben and Jerry’s representative, Kalli Swaik, said, “Ben and Jerry’s has long been a champion of marriage equality in the United States and is proud to support AME’s Vote4love campaign.

WA Labor Senator, Louise Pratt, and the SA Greens Senator, Sarah Hanson-Young, both vowed to work across party lines to achieve marriage equality.

Senator Pratt said, “Along with the Prime Minister and a majority of Labor members, I am committed to working across the parliament to make marriage equality a reality. Some people have said marriage equality should not be a priority at this election, but the reality is it is a high priority for the millions of Australians who value love and equality. It’s a simple issue of principle which we can act on while attending to all the other important issues facing the country.”

Senator Hanson-Young said, “On my first day in parliament I introduced legislation for marriage equality because the Greens want to see equal love treated equally under the law. I am committed to the kind of cross-party co-operation that is essential to achieving equality. Marriage equality and removing discrimination is not a fad. It is hard fought for and essential. It is about the kind of values most Australians hold dear.”

In a written statement, Cr Christine Forster, who is the sister of Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, said,

“Marriage equality is not an issue of right or left. For gay people and our families, it is a very human issue that speaks to very human aspirations of love, commitment, family and fairness. If the Coalition wins On September 7th I would like to see it engage in open debate which would hopefully lead to a conscience vote on the issue, just as has occurred in the Conservative Party in the UK and the National Party in New Zealand. There are a growing number of us in the Liberal Party who are working to make marriage equality a reality. Our approach is to engage in a constructive way with those who hold a different view. Marriage is about respecting and valuing the bonds we share with others. Achieving marriage equality will be based on the same values.”

Sample Flyers can be found here:

Brisbane Flyer https://www.dropbox.com/sh/81t9e976eg3vyfr/mMeRWfYUUt
Perth Flyer https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jyuhr3ufer1a1la/grYDnpnZpH
North Sydney Flyer https://www.dropbox.com/sh/b00nk7qmlcnhlct/yaZqMWW3_R
Curtin Flyer https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f97krustpkyvtq3/0goJbkZA8-
Wills Flyer https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kalmk7ekpx1t9sa/mxtOIsFn4E
Australian Marriage Equality national director, Rodney Croome