The No campaign has turned to a plain-speaking country tradesman and musician in its last ditch bid to stop same sex marriage in its tracks.
In recent days, the Coalition for Marriage has aired a new TV commercial featuring Queensland builder Steve Peterson, 54, railing against political correctness.
‘I dunno about this same sex marriage vote,’ he says in the clip. ‘Even our prime minister says there’ll be consequences….
‘I’m over this politically correct nonsense. I’m sick of being told what to think by the thought police. Can’t say this, can’t say that.
‘What’s next? Boycott my business?’
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia from his forklift, Mr Peterson, 54, admitted the advertisement was scripted – but said he strongly believed in the argument.
Outback builder Steve Peterson, 54, features in the new No campaign commercial: ‘I dunno about this same sex marriage vote’
‘It was a scripted ad, I just read off a script,’ he said.
‘Nevertheless, I sympathise fairly deeply with what was said. I think there’s merit in what was said.’
Mr Peterson said he is a former primary school teacher who is concerned about the ‘nonsense’ he says is being taught now in schools.
Mr Peterson said he is a band but his rainbow guitar strap no longer means the same thing
He regularly posts to social media about LGBTI issues being taught and said the campaign sought him out for the commercial.
The builder said he was disappointed by Yes voters branding No voters as ‘bigots’.
He joked it was fine for a person to have their own opinion in the same sex marriage debate – ‘as long as its the same as there’s’.
He then referred to a quote he’d written on his Facebook wall: ‘Arguing with a Yes voter is like playing chess with a pigeon.
‘It doesn’t matter how good your game is, your opponent will s*** all over the board and strut about as though they won.’
Mr Peterson said he was ‘pretty annoyed’ the meaning of three different cultural touchstones were radically changing over the years.
‘I used to be able to use the word gay and it used to mean carefree and nonchalant and a generally cheerful person,’ he said.
‘I can’t used that word anymore – it’s cactus.
A crowd at a ‘Post Your Yes’ street party in Darlinghurst, Sydney, earlier this month
A number of ‘NO’ signs have popped up in Australian skies during the campaign
‘I have a rainbow coloured guitar strap… somebody asked me the other day if I was gay.
‘There’s another thing I can’t use anymore.
‘It (the rainbow) used to mean running in the backyard under the sprinkler now it means you support the gay cause.
‘Pretty shortly the word marriage, it used to mean such and such….
‘Within the next couple of months I suspect it won’t mean that anymore.
He added: ‘I’d like my rainbow back, if you could arrange that.’
The Coalition for Marriage ad comes in the final weeks of voting.
Heidi McIvor was one of the faces of the No campaign’s initial salvo during the campaign
Dr Pansy Lai (left) and Melbourne mother Cella White featured the first No campaign ad
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) last week said 62.5 per cent of voters had mailed in their forms.
Pollsters have claimed the Yes campaign remains ahead.
Women who starred in previous No campaign advertisements have been deluged with abuse online.
The survey closes on November 7 and the final result will be announced on November 15
In response to the new advertisement, Clint McGilvray, a Yes spokesman, called No ‘dishonest’.
‘The No campaign has run a completely negative and divisive campaign,’ he said.
‘They have no intention of talking about marriage equality.
‘All they want to do is talk about all these unrelated issues to try and divide the nation.’
The Coalition for Marriage was contacted for comment.
The ABS recommends voters post their forms back before October 27 to ensure their vote counts.
The survey closes on November 7 and the final result will be announced on November 15.