FORESTVILLE, New South Wales, Australia — Margie Abbott, wife of the man many expect to be elected the next Prime Minister of Australia, indicated in a television interview Thursday that she does not necessarily support her husband’s staunch opposition to same-sex marriage.
Margie Abbott said in an appearance with Nine Network that it’s time the country had a conversation about same-sex marriage.
Her husband, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, and current Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, are locked in a campaign that falls into the margin of error in the polls, and has most political pundits forecasting a win for Abbott in Saturday’s national election.
Margie Abbott’s willingness to discuss the subject with such openness is in direct contrast to her husband, who has thus far refused to let his Liberal party members have a conscience vote on the issue.
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“I suppose at the end of the day I think that love, commitment, are things that should be recognized and I think it’s a conversation that Australia needs to have,” Abbott said. “Hopefully going forward that is one that we will have.”
But she also cautioned that any changes “should be incremental.”
Abbott also discussed her husband’s sister Christine, who recently announced she is gay.
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Rudd has publicly supported marriage equality and promised legislation within the first 100 days of his term if re-elected.