The ads, which can be seen on YouTube, are part of a campaign launched by Equal Love last week.

The campaign involves five advertisements based on the PC versus Mac commercials. They depict professional actors playing the characters ‘equality’ versus the ‘Australian Government’.

Pike addressed Equal Love campaigners on the steps of the Old Treasury building last Thursday morning.

“The ALP has a strong history of socially progressive reforms that it is proud of,” Pike said. “We can always take positive steps by leading the way to eliminate discrimination and provide a ‘fair go’ for all Australians.

“We need to continue our efforts in relation to marriage equality.”

Equal Love said in a media statement that their six-week campaign targets all Australians.

The initiative comes after a recent Galaxy Poll showed 60 per cent of Australians support same-sex marriage.

The Equal Love campaign will culminate in a National Action Day (NDA) on August 1. The NDA will feature mass illegal weddings in major cities across Australia.

Victoria’s Equal Love spokesperson Martin Baldock said that five years ago a vocal minority convinced the Howard Government to alter the Marriage Act.

“The federal government of the time chose to actively discriminate against one group of Australians because of who they love. That time has passed,” Baldock said.

“A moral majority of Australians are now speaking out to say this kind of discrimination has gone on long enough.”

Baldock said Equal Love was calling on the Rudd Government to “undo the damage of the old government”.

“We call on them to give same-sex couples the same rights as all Australians. It’s time to make marriage equal, Australia is ready.”

In related news, South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young introduced a private member’s bill in Federal Parliament on June 24 which would grant same-sex couples equal marriage rights in Australia.

Along with the bill, Hanson-Young produced a 30,000-signature petition in support of same-sex marriage.

“The Greens’ Marriage Equality Amendment Bill can bring Australia into the league of other forward-thinking nations who recognise that all couples should enjoy the right to marry,” Hanson-Young said in a statement.

Hanson-Young pointed to the latest Galaxy Poll showing 60 per cent of Australians favour gay marriage, and called the Rudd Government’s stance – that the majority of Australians believe marriage should be confined to heterosexuals – “a lame excuse”.

She said equal marriage rights were “a glaring omission” from last year’s same-sex law reforms.

Australian Marriage Equality spokesperson Rodney Croome said he had seen a shift in opinions over the last couple of years.

“Backbenchers of both major parties are closer to public opinion than their party leaderships. They can see that public opinion is behind reform,” Croome told MCV.

“The next step is to wake the leadership of both parties up to current public opinion. Right now they are way behind the times and seem to be hostage to a very small minority. The latest polls show just how small that minority is.”

The Equal Love campaign will be launching a web-based commercial each week for the next five weeks at its website www.equallove.info. 

(Photo: Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop/ ABC News)

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