Letter to The Editor - Thus these key themes should be weighed carefully by those framing legislation

to THE AGE
     Magnanimity towards a loser is an important aspect of our cultural tradition. That is why, if the postal survey results in a clear yes for same-sex marriage, the Government should move cautiously and judiciously in framing enabling legislation.
     This is not a situation of ‘those who opposed change seeking to be the authors of a bill for change’  (‘”Blizzard” of changes likely for bill’, 10/11), but of reasonable requests for adequate and fair protections for dissidents being incorporated as part of the bill.  It is not a matter of further attempts to ‘delay the inevitable’, but of respecting the substantial number of no voters.
     Waleed Ali is misleading (‘When yes means yes but’) in suggesting that the no campaign has ‘lost’ on its key themes of ‘protections for parents, freedom of speech and religious freedom.’ It is more likely that the yes campaign has won on what was perceived as fairness to same-sex couples. Thus these key themes should be weighed carefully by those framing legislation.
     Nigel Jackson, Belgrave, Vic