It’s time for politicians to hear the people on same-sex marriage

Australians have delivered a powerful response to the postal vote on same-sex marriage.

It is up to parliament to listen to that message and get this painful dispute settled by Christmas.

The response rate of 57.5 per cent is more than most in the government had hoped for at this stage of the postal survey, with only three weeks gone and five weeks to go. This is very good news for Malcolm Turnbull. Opinion polls suggest there will be a majority in favour of change.

Newspoll has found that those who are most likely to vote are also more likely to vote Yes.

This is important because the debate in parliament on religious freedom will be shaped by two key figures: the turnout and the size of the No vote. Those MPs who want stronger religious protections will need to point to a solid No vote to convince their colleagues to vote for amendments.

As the response rate grows, both the Yes and No campaigns will deal with the law of diminishing returns.

Will it be worth another $1 million to influence the last 10 per cent?

Yet neither campaign can afford to let up.

They are not just fighting for a Yes or No vote — they are fighting already over the fine print of the bill.