Same-sex marriage: Ad restrictions deal close as ABS prepares to post first ballot papers

Labor has reported it is close to agreeing with the Turnbull government on electoral safeguards for the same-sex marriage postal survey, following a weekend of negotiations.

A sign is seen at a rally in support for marriage equality in Sydney on Sunday, September 10, 2017.

A sign is seen at a rally in support for marriage equality in Sydney on Sunday, September 10, 2017. Source: AAP

With the High Court challenge to the survey now settled, the government and Labor are trying to agree on a series of rules for the campaign.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics will begin posting ballot papers from tomorrow.

The ‘YES’ and ‘NO’ campaigns will run another two months before the deadline for responses on November 7.
Labor’s shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the negotiations would continue on Monday, as parliament resumes for another sitting week.

"Labor has asked the government to include a provision that would ban vilification, hate speech,” Mr Dreyfus told ABC Radio on Monday morning.

“It looks at this stage like the government's prepared to agree to that.”

“We haven’t yet hit on the final form of words.”
The special bill for advertising restrictions is needed because the postal survey is not a formal election and falls outside the normal rules contained in the Electoral Act.

Besides anti-vilification rules, there will likely be authorisation provisions that will force advertisers to sign their name to ad material.

Anti-bribery and anti-fraud provisions are also expected, Mr Dreyfus said.

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Published 11 September 2017 6:56am
Updated 11 September 2017 8:09am
By James Elton-Pym


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