Same-sex marriage vote: Australia says yes to marriage equality
AUSTRALIANS have voted an overwhelming YES to marriage equality, with 61 per cent of more than 12 million voters supporting changes to the marriage laws.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
AUSTRALIANS have voted an overwhelming YES to marriage equality, with 61.6 per cent of more than 12 million voters supporting changes to the marriage laws.
Gay couples in love will be able to legally wed for the first time in Australian history as a result of today’s vote, achieving equal rights with their heterosexual counterparts.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics have confirmed, in an announcement that gripped the nation, that the majority of Australians support changes to the Marriage Act under the Constitution to allow for same-sex couples to wed.
The people of Australia have spoken and I intend to make their wish the law of the land by Christmas. This is an overwhelming call for marriage equality. pic.twitter.com/PWZbH5H71r
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) November 14, 2017
THANK YOU AUSTRALIA: 7.8 MILLION TIMES THANK YOU!
SYDNEY PARTIES: WHERE TO CELEBRATE THE YES WIN
After today’s vote, gay marriage is set to be legislated by the end of this year.
The introduction of same-sex marriage will be a major legacy of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who has supported gay marriage for a long time.
“My views are very, very well-known and have been for a long time,” he said.
“Now, it’s under my prime ministership that all Australians have been given a say on this issue.
“We have had an 80 per cent turnout. Amazing. Extraordinary. Vastly beyond everyone’s expectations.”
MIRANDA DEVINE: I ACCEPT YES RESULT WITH GOOD GRACE
SSM RESULTS PROVE POLITICIANS OUT OF TOUCH
Meanwhile Tony Abbott Facebooked his congratulations to the Yes campaign.
“I always said this was an issue where the Australian people wanted their say and today’s result demonstrates that seeking their views was the right thing to do,” he said.
“The people have spoken and, of course, the parliament should respect the result”.
The announcement prompted emotional scenes at Sydney’s yes camp with high profile campaigners Ian Thorpe, Magda Szubanski, Kerry Phelps and Christine Forster celebrating the emphatic victory.
Cr Forster - Tony Abbott’s sister - took to the stage shortly after the result was announced to reveal there had been a 75 per cent yes vote in her brother’s Warringah electorate.
In a heartfelt speech Thorpe declared that the victory would empower a generation of young people.
“ What got us here today are three words- passion, determination and courage,” he said.
“We didn’t need a survey to know the will of the Australia people but we dealt with it. We have waited long enough.”
Conservative Coalition MPs muscling up to Mr Turnbull by proposing a same-sex marriage bill with sweeping religious and conscientious carve-outs have backed down, with its author, Victorian senator James Paterson, withdrawing his legislation.
Senator Paterson said a rival bill, authored by West Australian Liberal Dean Smith, was the preferred option of the majority of senators and “where we should start”.
“I am very pleased with the strong “Yes” result today. At last, same sex couples will be able to get married, as I have long advocated,” Senator Paterson wrote in a statement on Facebook.
“I will now work constructively with my parliamentary colleagues over the coming weeks on amendments to ensure that the strongest possible protections for the freedoms of all Australians are enshrined in the final legislation.”
Debate on same sex-marriage legislation and what protections should be included for celebrants, businesses, educators, charities and parents is expected to begin tomorrow.
Former prime minister John Howard earlier today weighed into the debate, and in a clear shot at Senator Paterson’s bill, said the conversation should not “get hung up” on protections for cake makers and florists supplying services to gay weddings.
“Clearly the decision of the public should be respected by the parliament but I think it is also very important that quite legitimate concerns that were raised by many people, including me and my friend and former deputy prime minister John Anderson, about the protection of parental rights, religious freedoms and freedom of speech,” Mr Howard said.
Mr Turnbull has already indicated Senator Smith’s bill is his prefered option, while Labor and a number of the crossbench were also opposed to Senator Paterson’s proposal.
It would have overridden state and territory anti-discrimination and freedom-of-speech laws to extend protections beyond religions to anyone who held a conscientious belief against gay marriage.
But Treasurer Scott Morrison, Resources Minister Matt Canavan and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann have all voiced concerns about the level of protections in Senator Smith’s bill, which is likely to be amended as the debate continues into the next sitting period in late November.
When the Senate returns on November 27, it will go through a formal Senate Committee process for a week, leaving it room to be introduced into the lower house in the first week of December.
Attorney-General George Brandis has indicated he may need to extend Parliament for an extra week in the lead up to Christmas if necessary.
“The Private Members Bill will be debated and people will be free to move whatever amendments they want and they’ll be debated and voted on and determined,” Mr Turnbull said.
“And every member of Parliament will have their say on those amendments and they won’t be, from our side at any rate, constrained by any party policy.”
The Turnbull Government’s strong desire is to have the legislation introduced before the year’s end.
Mr Turnbull’s election promise was to give Australians a say on the issue, but Greens and Labor voted down his pledge to hold a national plebiscite.
Conservatives in the Turnbull Government discovered a legal loophole whereby a postal plebiscite could be held without the need for legislative approval.
The decision to hold a total survey was highly controversial and the gay rights advocates, Labor and the Greens objected heavily to it, arguing there would be an ugly hate campaign.
“We said we would give everyone a say and we did,” Mr Turnbull said ahead of the postal survey results being released.
“Here we have in same-sex marriage - and bear in mind Labor was in government for six years and did nothing about this. Zero, nothing. The great champions of same-sex marriage today on the Labor side were mute. They opposed it when they were in government.”
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
MALCOLM TURNBULL
“The people of Australia have spoken and I intend to make their wish the law of the land by Christmas. This is an overwhelming call for marriage equality.”
TONY ABBOTT
“The people have spoken and, of course, the parliament should respect the result. I congratulate the ‘yes’ campaign on their achievement”.
LYLE SHELTON
The Coalition for Marriage spokesman said: “We will now do what we can to guard against restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of religion, to defend parents’ rights, and to protect Australian kids from being exposed to radical LGBTIQ sex and gender education in the classrooms.”
IAN THORPE
“What got us here today are three words- passion, determination and courage. We have waited long enough”.
ALAN JOYCE
The Qantas chief executive celebrated the “amazing outcome” and urged the PM with the task of legalising same-sex marriage. “We now expect it, we need it to be delivered and we need it to be delivered fast. Get on and do it Mr Turnbull,” he said.