Same-sex marriage: Yes, No campaigners clash outside church

Police were called after Yes and No supporters clash outside church. Picture 9News

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann thinks Australians will “overwhelmingly” act respectfully during the postal survey campaign despite a violent clash outside a Brisbane church last night.

Mr Cormann said he was disappointed with the clash when Yes campaigners tried to disrupt a No campaign meeting after the High Court yesterday allowed the postal plebiscite to go ahead.

“I’m always disappointed when you see clashes, I think that overwhelmingly Australians are able to conduct this debate courteously and respectfully and in the spirit in which we out to pursue national debates of this nature,” Mr Cormann told Sky News this morning.

“You will get some people who, sadly, take things to the extreme or act inappropriately and there are of course already appropriate laws in place now to deal with any violence or inappropriate behaviour.”

The Australian reported this morning the government was holding ­urgent talks to set new rules on the claims that can be made on either side of the eight-week debate. The proposed laws are likely to require clear authorisation of advertisements and other safeguards applied in federal election campaigns.

Mr Cormann said he hoped the legislation could be passed next week.

“We want the process to be fair to both sides of the argument, we want Australians to have their say in an environment that is appropriate,” Mr Cormann said.

“You don’t want to put inappropriate limits on the freedom of political expression of opinions, as you wouldn’t do in the course of an election campaign.

“What we are proposing to do is to put in place similar safeguards as would be in place in the context of an election to compliment all of the existing legal protections.”

Human Rights commissioner Ed Santow said the laws needed to find the right balance between protecting people from abuse and protecting freedom of speech

“And clearly the law has a role to play, especially prohibiting language that is so hateful that it incites violence or other serious harm,” Mr Santow told ABC radio this morning.

“On the whole, I think advocates on both sides of the debate are showing good leadership and putting their case forcefully but also on the whole respectfully.”

Earlier, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese criticised the Yes and No supporters who clashed in Brisbane last night.

Police say one woman was arrested for obstructing police and another person suffered a minor injury during the angry stand-off outside the Ashgrove church on Thursday night.

The stoush happened after Yes campaigners tried to disrupt a No campaign meeting after the High Court yesterday allowed the postal plebiscite to go ahead.

Mr Dutton said the debate should remain respectful.

pic.twitter.com/sBjRtbLEN9 The debate over same sex marriage turned ugly in Brisbane last night, when "yes" and "no" campaigners clashed outside a church. #9Today September 7, 2017

“Conduct yourself in a reasonable way. Have a respectful discussion,” Mr Dutton told Nine Network.

pic.twitter.com/Sg2JAYH8bl "You can have different points of view without engaging in that sort of behaviour" - Albo #9Today September 7, 2017

Mr Albanese said he was not surprised by the imbroglio, adding it was why the Labor Party had opposed a public vote on the issue.

“That was one of the concerns we had about a plebiscite or a postal vote — that there would be division in the community,” Mr Albanese said.

He said incidents like the one at Ashgrove didn’t advance the yes or the no campaign.

“You can have different points of view without engaging in that sort of behaviour.”

With AAP

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