BOWMAN MP Andrew Laming says the majority of Redland City residents continue to oppose same-sex marriage.
His findings contradict those from a ReachTel survey of Bowman voters commissioned by Australians for Equality.
Announcing the findings of his annual household survey, Mr Laming said 43.7 per cent of those who responded said they support same-sex marriage.
In March, the ReachTel poll found that 59.3 per cent of Bowman voters supported a change, while 33.2 per cent were opposed.
The Bowman electorate was one of 12 targeted in that poll.
Mr Laming said issues like same-sex marriage were not decided by telephone polls as they excluded people who were on the do-not-call register and included those who did not vote or were not eligible to vote.
He said his respondents were more representative of the electorate and that every one of the 50,000 households in Redlands had an equal opportunity to respond.
“Unlike answering a question over the phone, decisions in a democracy rely on citizens marking a form and putting it in a box; in this case a letter box.
“I know one side of the debate will be infuriated, but, in the end, if supporters can’t be bothered with active democracy, then they can’t complain about results which don’t go their way.”
Mr Laming said he had received a response rate of about 7 per cent, or 3500 households, from this year’s survey.
“The surveys are still coming in and we expect to get about 4000 to 5000,” he said.
He said same-sex marriage had been polled in four of the six surveys he had conducted since 2006 and the majority of respondents were opposed to same-sex marriage in each case.
Mr Laming has been fiercely opposed by advocates of same-sex marriage after releasing previous results.
In this year’s survey, four suburbs – Thorneside, Redland Bay, Russell Island and Coochiemudlo Island – voted in favour of same-sex marriage.
Mr Laming has said he would vote in Canberra according to the result of his survey.
He said a form was delivered to every Redland City household by Australia Post in April and that people who had not voted could still complete a provisional vote at his office at 32 Middle Street, Cleveland.
In 2016, Redland City Bulletin conducted an online poll in which 809 voters, out of 970, were for same-sex marriage, 154 against and seven undecided.
Mr Laming said top issues raised in his survey were traffic and congestion (27 per cent) and law and order together with ice addiction (27 per cent).
The release of survey results comes as organisations Australians for Equality and Australian Marriage Equality are due to hold a forum in Redlands as part of a national equality campaign.
Former Olympic swimming medallist Daniel Kowalski will headline the event, together with campaign director Tiernan Brady and Australian Marriage Equality directors Shirleene Robinson and Peter Black.
The forum will be held at the Grand View Hotel, Cleveland on Tuesday, May 9 from 6.30pm to 9pm.
