More approval for gay marriage: MLC

South Metropolitan MLC Lynn MacLaren has called on Brand MHR Gary Gray to canvass his constituents more widely on the issue of gay marriage.

Just days before she was due to address a rally for marriage equality in Perth on the weekend, Ms MacLaren said Mr Gray should not be fooled by a letter-writing campaign by a small group of people.

“Independent polling last year shows that 62 per cent of Australians believe same-sex couples should be allowed to marry,'' she said.

“Recently, after Federal members of Parliament agreed to the Greens’ motion to seek the views of their constituents, the former Liberal party leader Malcolm Turnbull surveyed his electorate to find 75 per cent in support (of same-sex marriage).”

She thought the figures would be similar for Brand and South Metropolitan Region constituents.

But Mr Gray said it was not his job to act as an “electoral weather vane and point in whatever direction the winds blow''.

He said while he had carefully considered what people had told him, his views on the issue would not change and he continued to support the Marriage Act in its present form.

Although he had not canvassed his constituents directly, he said it was his job as a member of Parliament to listen to constituents.

“More than a 100 people have contacted my office either via letter or petition to express opposition to same-sex marriage and a small number of people have written in support of it,'' he said.

Even the evidence of several hundred members of a same-sex marriage support group on Facebook did not sway his opinion.

“It has to be made clear however that these (Facebook) statistics cannot be relied on as a true reflection of community sentiment because usually only those who have a strong view about a matter will put their feelings in writing or join campaign groups on social networks,’’ he said.