The 'Australian Chinese for Families Association' is a frontier community advocate group opposed to same-sex marriage that has collected over 6,000 signatures petition to against Safe School Program. Last week SBS Mandarin reported on a controversial pamphlet, that it has been circulating among the Chinese Australian community with the help of a team of volunteers.
The six-page Chinese-language pamphlet, pitching the 'No' supporters as the "silent majority" and calling upon Chinese families to "think about your descendants and future generations," and say no to same sex marriage, is one of the latest campaign materials accused of being offensive and misleading in the lead-up to the same-sex marriage postal survey.
The people behind these materials "are deliberately resorting to misleading people," Tiernan Brady, Executive Director of the Equality Campaign tells SBS Mandarin.
"Migrant communities in Australia understand discrimination, our families and friends have experienced discrimination on the basis of our race, skin colour, and language," says Francis Voon, Multicultural Outreach Coordinator.
"LGBTI people are in our community, they are our friends and family members, they face even more discrimination."
"Many of us migrated to Australia for a better life," Voon says. “We all deserve to be treated fairly and justly by civil law in all aspects, including civil marriage law.”
"Asian Australians were discriminated against by civil law through the White Australia policy, thankfully this was removed by the parliament of the time.
"Family is the most important thing to all Australians. Marriage equality is about joining families and strengthening family unity.
"Marriage equality creates more committed, stronger family bonds that will be protected by law.
"For the sake of our families and friends, we urge all multicultural communities in Australia to say YES in the postal survey," Francis Voon concludes.
Dr Pansy Lai, co-founder of the Australian Chinese for Families Association told SBS Mandarin that the first 10,000 copies of their 'say No' flyers have already been snapped up, and they have ordered tens of thousands more, "we have had a very positive response to our flyer from the Australian Chinese community right across Australia."
The same-sex marriage postal survey campaign is set to being in earnest. (AAP) Source: AAP
With fears the debate could turn ugly, the Coalition government is currently working with the Labor opposition to draft laws ensuring all campaign material is authorised and some limits are put on what can be said, after the High Court dismissed a challenge to the eight-week national survey.
Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says the opposition agrees safeguard legislation needs to be put in place.
"Now the survey is well and truly on we want this campaign on both sides of the debate to be conducted with grace and kindness," he told ABC radio on Friday.
Cabinet minister Peter Dutton, who doesn't support same-sex marriage but will go along with the outcome of the vote, urged people to argue their cases respectfully.
"I think that's what most Australians would want," he told the Nine Network.
Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese says behaving disrespectfully doesn't advance either cause.
Depending on the outcome of the $112 million process, there could be a parliamentary vote before the end of the year.
