A flurry of tears and applause has greeted the Senate passage of a landmark bill legalising same-sex marriage.
Liberal Dean Smith’s largely unamended private bill sailed through the upper house on Wednesday with senators voting 43-12 in favour of changing the Marriage Act.
“In a world where there are more tensions between people, our country has offered a loving embrace to its own,” an emotional Senator Smith said ahead of the vote.
“A few brief moments of joy is what our country has ached for because we know it will result in a lifetime of joy for so many others.”
Labor Senate leader Penny Wong said the bill’s passage was a historic moment.
“It says to so many Australians, this parliament, this country, accepts you for who you are,” she said.
“Your love is not lesser, and nor are you. It says you’re one of us.”
Attorney-General George Brandis, who made a passionate speech during the debate, said it was a proud moment for democracy.
“We should rejoice in what the Australian people have achieved this year,” he said.
The bill now goes to the lower house for a debate likely to start on Monday, and a vote before the end of the week.
If any amendments are added in the House of Representatives, the bill will have return to the Senate for approval.
Labor senator Louise Pratt praised the activist movement which had led to legislative change.
“Our relationships have existed for a long time. Our families have existed for a long time. Our love is true. Our children are cherished. Our families are precious. It is time that we were equal,” Senator Pratt said.
Cabinet minister Matt Canavan said he could not support a bill which compromised human rights.
“I think the failure to fully protect celebrants who have a conscientious or may have a conscientious or non-religious objection to solemnising a same-sex marriage is a missed opportunity for our parliament to unify,” he said.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale said discriminatory laws had been sent to the dustbin of history.
“I am so proud of this parliament and today I am so proud of my country,” he said.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson abstained from the final vote, as did Liberal James McGrath and Nationals Brigid McKenzie.
Earlier, two Nationals MPs accused Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of ignoring conservatives during the debate.
“I think, in my view, there’s been a complete lack of leadership,” Western Victorian MP Andrew Broad said.
Queensland backbencher George Christensen agreed with his colleague.
“A true leader would have sought to capture the will of the people and protect freedoms, not this hands-off approach,” he posted on social media.
LISTEN: Australia voted Yes. What now?
Top Comments
I'm very happy for those in the gay community who want to marry in the same way as heterosexual folk. I just hope that my Christian friend who's a marriage celebrant will be able to refuse to marry a gay couple because it's against the deeply held beliefs she's had her whole life. I know that's not cool nowadays and I don't share those beliefs but she has the right to have them and have them respected. There's room for everyone's beliefs and opinions and the law needs to understand and respect them. As do the rest of us.
She will be ok. The bill says that clergy and current marriage celebrants are able refuse to marry gay couples.
What I don't understand is how can you be a religious civil celebrant? Isn't a civil ceremony a secular ceremony of the state - and don't Christians refuse to acknowledge weddings which are outside of the Church?
Not sure why you think that. I've known many Christians in my time and none of them believe that. The marriage ceremony has, for many hundreds of years, been a legal ceremony conducted in a church. The marriage certificate is as much a legal document as any other binding contract.
Many Christians choose to marry in a civil ceremony because they have a particular love for a particular place. Many marriages conducted outside of churches are conducted by a priest, parson, pastor or minister.
I think in these secular times that many, many people think the whole marriage thing is a religious celebration. It's not necessarily. Those who marry in a church do so for many reasons. Some of the biggest heathens I know were married in church.
Ah I see, I guess different denominations have different "rules". My mum and dads 20 year marriage was annulled by the Catholic Church after their divorce so she could get baptized as they were married by a civil celebrant (not a priest) so maybe it is only Catholics that believe that?
One step closer :)