No referendum on same sex marriage - Picardo

The Gibraltar Government will not hold a referendum on the issue of same sex marriage, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo suggested yesterday as he urged the community to “challenge its prejudices”.

Mr Picardo made the comments during a question and answer session of Parliament – the first since the 2015 general election – that verged on debate and drew in numerous members from both sides of the House.

In its recent manifesto for the 2015 Elections the GSLP/Liberal Alliance had committed to holding consultations on draft legislation to allow same-sex marriage.

The deadline for the process was originally set for 15 January 2016 but this was later extended to January 29.

During the question and answer session, the Leader of the Opposition Daniel Feetham intervened to ask if it was the Government’s position that, if sufficient numbers of the public in Gibraltar were against same sex marriage, it would go with that majority ‘at the expense of the principle of equality’.

Mr Picardo replied: “Since when are consultations simply exercises in weighing up those that say yes and those that say no?”

“If you want to do that sort of consultation you call a referendum, something that the Government is not intending to do in respect of this matter,” he said.

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