Coming Up: Equal Marriage Down Under
Same-sex marriage is currently illegal in Australia, but LGBT couples down under will be happy to hear that this could soon be changing. The matter is to be debated soon in parliament, and the outlook seems positive.
Public support, which is currently at an all time high with 72% of citizens supporting equal marriage rights, has pressured members of parliament to speed up the process.
A vote on the legalisation of same-sex marriage was last held in 2012, where it was rejected with an overwhelming majority of 98-42 in the House of Representatives, and 41-26 in the Senate. The country is currently governed by the Liberal party who have argued for a ‘free vote’ to be instigated in the next debate, reasoning that this is likely to produce a different set of results.
Typically, members of a party are required to vote in accordance to party-specific policies. However, in the case of a free vote, those involved are able to vote regardless of political membership.
It is expected that holding the vote in this manner will produce a fairer and more representative result, hopefully one that leads to equal marriage in Australia.
Watch this space for an update.