GAY TRUTH

WESTPAC have received backlash after encouraging their staff to vote Yes in the same-sex marriage plebiscite through a company wide email, which contained exaggerated information about LGBTI suicide rates in Australia . The email, sent by the bank’s Youth Network to Westpac and St George employees, stated that a Yes vote was a “no brainer” and “would prevent 3000 suicides per year”. But according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics a total of 2886 people died from intentional self harm in Australia in 2016, there was no indication as to what the motives were for these suicides or if sexual orientation or gender identity was a factor. On the 2GB morning show Ray Hadley read out a section of the email, which was sent in anonymously, criticising the bank over their false claims. “In 2016 Westpac group signed to an open letter in support of Australian marriage equality , believing it is the right thing to do, while we are not one to tell anyone how to roll, it’s a no-brainer,”...

Westpac bank slammed for 'blackmailing' staff after it mass-emailed employees to vote 'yes' to same sex marriage using 'fudged statistics.' Westpac's youth network emailed 10,000 staff urging them to vote yes to SSM Called vote a 'no brainer' and claimed it would prevent 3,000 suicides a year. Email slammed as emotional 'blackmail' and a 'bad precedent' for the bank Statistic actually referred to suicide attempts that could be averted. Westpac sent an email to staff urging them to vote yes to gay marriage, claiming it would prevent 3,000 suicides a year. The message from the bank's youth network, representing staff under 30, was sent to 10,000 of 40,000 staff and called voting yes a 'no brainer'.  But the bank admitted its statistic used in the email was a mistake and actually referred to research only talking about suicide attempts. 'We said that we would get that information clarified to the staff and we...