ALR383 – Government Relations and Issues Management
Essay – Same-sex marriage
Sam Stacker
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As society has revolutionized and with democratic ideology denominating has the western world, liberation and equality campaigns stemming from “third sector” (Keane 1998) lobbying groups, stand as a key component to the operation a “civil society”(Keane 1998). Carrying an objective to influence legislators or regulatory agencies, these political advocacy groups play a critical role in the operation of a healthy liberal democracy. In contemporary society, the notion of Same-sex marriage has polarized public opinion worldwide and is recognized as one of the most controversial non-economic issues to ever confront the Australian…show more content… In a victory for the ‘ACL’, the High Court unanimously struck down the ACT’s Marriage Equality Act, stating, “The ACT Act cannot operate concurrently with the Federal Act” (Wilson L 2014). Lyle Shelton, managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby stated the foundation of their lobbying was “about providing a future for the next generation where they can be raised by their biological parents, wherever possible” (Wilson L 2014) and that “marriage between a man and a woman is good for society and beneficial for governments to uphold legislation” (Wilson L 2014). The Australian Christian Lobby’s success in challenging prospective legislation concerning same-sex marriage is indicative of the power granted to the bourgeois in an egalitarian society and furthermore illustrates the influence such third sector organizations can have on the political process.
‘Australian Marriage Equality’ typifies another activism group in society who fight and lobby in the pursuit of legalizing same-sex marriage in Australia. A myriad of campaigns undertaken by the ‘AME’ have aimed to influence societies perception of same-sex marriage and further demonstrate to parliament the importance of marriage equality in contemporary society. In 2009 ‘AME’ commenced lobbying through piloting television and newspaper advertisements aimed at dispelling the
