Federal Democratic Labour Party Senator John Madigan visited Tasmania today to make a number of
announcements whilst campaigning alongside DLP senate candidate Robyne Ferri (above).
Using Parliament House’s Long Room as the scene, Senator Madigan most notably announced his intention to table a
bill calling for a referendum that – if successful – would confirm the definition of marriage as held in the Marriage
Act in the Australian Constitution.
Senator Madigan and the DLP have always maintained that the Australian public are best placed to define what
constitutes marriage, rather than sitting members undertaking a conscience vote.
“Quite frankly, the definition of marriage is something that cannot be left to the whim of the parliament – it is
something the Australian public must decide,” Senator Madigan said.
“People I speak to on this issue are sick and tired of being told to feel guilt and shame for continuing to uphold their
belief that marriage is a union between one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others.
“The bill I intend to introduce will finally give the Australian people the right to decide how our society is formed,
which is what democracy is fundamentally about.”
Miss Ferri said the feedback she had received from voters whilst on the campaign trail was that the issue was far too
important for them not to have a say.
“People want to have a say in what constitutes marriage. They are sick of Canberra making their decisions for them,
especially on an issue as important as the definition of marriage,” Miss Ferri said.
Other key issues that Senator Madigan and Miss Ferri addressed were the DLP’s carers’ superannuation and
small business policies:
• There are approximately 771,000 full‐time primary carers in Australia. By providing a major contribution to
society and a massive saving to government expenditure, these carers should be entitled to a government
funded contribution based on nine per cent of average weekly earnings;
• The DLP believes that big business and government trading terms for the supply of goods and services by a
small business should be no longer than 30 days standard trade.
“The DLP is the party of small businesses and too often they are ripped off by big business,” Senator Madigan said.
“A common example is when a big business unfairly delays payment to a small business that has provided goods
and/or services. This is one of the biggest obstacles small businesses face when trying to improve cash flow, which is
crucial for survival and investment.”
Senator Madigan’s trip to Tasmania was timed to coincide with the launch of a state‐wide television advertising
campaign that will screen in the lead up to next Saturday’s general election.
Federal Democratic Labour Party Senator John Madigan
