Pepe’s Garden is spreading the love to increase awareness and encourage young people to register to vote on marriage equality.
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Fellow Wollongong business Music Farmers has also got in on the act and will also give free stuff to customers who can prove they have updated their enrolment details ahead of the August 24 postal vote deadline.
The respective business owners Anita Brown and Jeb Taylor encouraged other Illawarra businesses to follow their lead and support the Vice magazine initiative, which encourages businesses to reward customers who can prove they have registered to vote. Miss Brown said marriage equality was too important an issue to slip through the cracks.
‘’That’s exactly what could happen if young people don’t vote or are unable to vote because they haven’t updated their enrolment details,’’ she said.
‘’It’s important we bring awareness to this. It’s not difficult to go on the AEC [Australian Electoral Commission] website and click check enrolment. It’s super easy and then young people can contribute and ensure marriage equality goes ahead, if that’s what they want.’’
The Wollongong florist is supporting the campaign by giving customers who buy a succulent another one free of charge.
Wake up and smell the roses. It's Australia. If the rest of the world and Europe are doing it. Why are we even questioning it?
- Anita Brown
‘’This is a pretty inexpensive way to support a really important issue,’’ Miss Brown said.
‘’I have purposely done a two for one deal to highlight same sex marriage. Give it [flower] to a friend, spread the love a little bit...there’s no better way to spread the love than flowers.’’
Miss Brown also delivered a message to Australia’s politicians, who she said had passed the buck by not changing Marriage Act long ago to allow same sex marriage. ‘’Wake up and smell the roses. It's Australia. If the rest of the world and Europe are doing it. Why are we even questioning it?’’ she asked.
Jeb Taylor agreed the process was more complex than it needed to be. General Pants’ Wollongong and Shellharbour stores are also supporting the campaign, with 20 per cent off full-priced items in-store.