Australian Minister, Barnaby Joyce, Is Afraid That Legalizing Gay Marriage In Australia Could Harm Cattle Exports


Australia’s Minister of Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce, is worried that legalizing gay marriage in Australia could be detrimental to the country’s cattle export. Joyce believes that cattle exports to Australia’s trading partners in Asia would see a dramatic decline due to their conservative traditions.

Speaking to the ABC Network, Joyce stated that, “Where we live economically is southeast Asia, that’s where our cattle go. When we go there, there are judgments, whether you like it or not, that are made about us. They see us as decadent.”

Despite Joyce’s fear of a declining cattle export in Australia, gay marriage in New Zealand was legalized last year with cattle export to Asia actually improving.

According to Federated Farmers National President, William Rolleston, there was no link between New Zealand allowing gay marriage and trade. He stated that, “Quite frankly, I think it is a pretty silly thing to say.”

Statistics showed that New Zealand figures show exports to China were worth almost $10 billion in 2014, compared to $6.9b in 2012. In Japan, New Zealand’s second biggest Asian trading partner, exports were worth $2.9b, compared to $3.2b in 2012. In Korea, the third biggest Asian trading partner, exports were worth $1.8b in 2014, compared to $1.6b in 2012.

When quizzed if he believes that gay marriage is decadent Joyce replied, “I think that in some instances they would, yeah.”

Joyce declared that marriage has nothing to do with equality. He said, “I see marriage as a reflection of what I have, what my parents had, what my grandparents had. It’s not about equality.”

“I want to stand with the current definition of marriage. I think it has been trialled by time, by thousands of years across multiple cultures, across multiple faiths and I just don’t think that us going into the parliament, making a definition into something that it’s not, solves any problems. I think it could actually create problems. I don’t think if you go and pass a piece of legislation that said that a diamond is a square makes diamonds squares, they’re two different things. It’s not making a value judgment about either, they’re just two different things.”

Gay marriage in Australia is treated differently through each Australian state. However, due to the definition of marriage within the federal government, same-sex couples are prevented from marrying. With the changing attitudes across the world towards gay marriage, Australia have found itself under increasing pressure from its liberal politicians and its citizens to review the federal law condemning gay marriage in Australia.

The coalition government is set to have a conscience vote on a marriage equality bill on the resumption of parliament on August 11.

[Photo by Stefan Postles / Getty Images]

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