Malcolm Turnbull posted the message about his wife Lucy along with a photo from the early years of their relationship. Photo / Facebook
Malcolm Turnbull posted the message about his wife Lucy along with a photo from the early years of their relationship. Photo / Facebook
It was meant to be a sweet Valentine to his wife - but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's message to Lucy has enraged the proponents of marriage equality.
Mr Turnbull posted the message on Facebook at 9am yesterday and by lunchtime it had garnered over 25,000 likes and almost 1000 comments.
"When I first asked Lucy to marry me she said, 'Let's wait until we grow up.' Well we didn't wait long and now it is almost impossible to imagine, let alone remember, what it was like not to be together, so much so that I have a much clearer sense of 'Lucy and me' than I do of 'me'," the message stated.
The post was accompanied by an undated picture, clearly taken in the early years of their relationship.
Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull married in 1980 while he was studying at Oxford University. Malcolm was 25 at the time and Lucy was eight days shy of her 22nd birthday. They met when he was 23 and she was 19.
The Turnbulls are renowned as one of the more enduring couples in Australian public life - he the ambitious self-made millionaire turned politician; and she an academic, businesswoman and politician in her own right (as a former Sydney Lord Mayor and council member). They have two children.
Many Facebook followers of the Prime Minister wished the couple well on Valentine's Day, but others took the opportunity to point out that Australia lags behind the rest of the Western world when it comes to allowing same-sex marriage.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy Turnbull. Photo / Getty Images
"Well because of you and your party I will never know what it will be like to marry my partner of nearly 10 years. So happy for you both," Tomas Allan Leaumont commented.
Another pointed post was made by Douglas McFarland.
"When I first asked my partner to marry me, he said let's wait till our government lets us ... and now, four years later, we have to wait until 51 per cent of the country lets us (and then the government can still reject it) ... you and Lucy are beautiful together, an inspiring couple ... just wish your leadership was more inspiring on Marriage. We all know you get it, we all know you want it, we all know you are spinning political bs when you support the plebiscite. Perhaps Valentine's day is the perfect day to scrap the plebiscite! Happy Valentine's day to you both, it must be a lovely reminder of your marriage. As opposed to the constant reminder that same sex couples love is less!" he stated.
Julie Ann Evans commented that she and her husband were about to celebrate 51 years of marriage but she was also pro marriage equality.
"I know you are personally for same-sex marriage, so it would be wonderful if your government would approve the same privilege for same-sex couples," she stated. "Love knows no boundaries and will conquer this unfair discrimination, but it must happen sooner, rather than later. Happy Valentine's Day to all who are in love or can remember."
