Dean Smith’s marriage bill passes the Senate
Image: Sydney's rally for marriage equality in 2017. Image: Ann-Marie Calilhanna.
The Australian Senate has passed Dean Smith’s marriage bill, with 43 senators voting for the proposed legislation, and 12 voting against it.
The bill will now be sent to the House of Representatives where it will be debated next week.
If passed without amendment, it will then go on to the Governor-General for Royal Assent, where it will be made law, and marriage equality will in turn become a reality.
Senators voting for the bill gave impassioned speeches in parliament, marking the historic debate as a turning point for the LGBTI community.
Janet Rice, who delivered her speech draped in a rainbow scarf, highlighted the activists that had fought long and hard for this outcome, including former Greens leader Bob Brown.
“[Bob] fought so hard, and raised the issue of equality and ending discrimination against LGBTI people for so long,” she said.
She added that she was particularly proud to represent the trans community on the historic occasion.
“Trans and gender diverse people have suffered incredible vilification and hatred, in fact, the attacks on them have continued in this chamber up until this morning,” she said.
“Trans people deserve to be loved as well, trans people are equal, they are part of our wonderful family.”
Senator Dean Smith introduced his marriage equality bill earlier this month, which had already been subject to a cross party Senate committee, and was built upon the findings of a Senate inquiry.
When delivering his speech earlier today, he reinforced the strength of the bill.
All proposed amendments to the bill by conservative senators had been voted down, something Smith said validated his bill.
“The debate confirmed the evolutionary nature of this bill,” he said.
“The lack of substantive amendments indicates we got the balance correct.”
Seventeen senators abstained from voting.
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We should all take very close note of how those in the House of Reps vote and adjust OUR votes at the 2019 Federal Election accordingly.
South Australian Voters, particularly the GLTBIQ Community should ensure Cory Bernardi’s Defeat when he is next up for re-election by filling in the ballot paper BELOW the line and putting him and his pals in the unwinnable last spots.
This entire issue was always about Equality.
Our politicians – from all sides – are always yapping about how we are all Equal and that the Law says we are and then, until now, they have banded together to deny us the same Equality they enjoy.
The Australian Marriage Act is a Secular Act. It has no impact on Religious Laws. Religious Laws, Laws enacted by unelected members of various religious organisations, have no legal place in Secular Society. Religious organisations already enjoy benefits from Secular Society which are not available to Secular Organisations. Religious Organisations should lose all those benefits – Income Tax and Council Rates exemptions etc.
Other than the screeching by a few un-Christian MPs and Senators we have heard nothing from any of the businesses they have been claiming would object to catering Same Gender Marriages. Where are they?
They are figments of these pathetic neo-fascists so-called brains.
Business people are in business to make money and they, just like politicians who take money from Tobacco Companies and Foreign Companies with close connections or are owned by, Foreign Governments,, simply don’t care where that money comes from.
???? “Yay!”, “Yippee!” and – as Homer Simpson says: “Woohoo!” ????????????
Australia can finally be seen as a country that’s growing up! ????
Next up is to further equality in Australia with a treaty for our indigenous peoples, and a better deal for the environment that doesn’t keep ignoring turbine-power from our surrounding oceans and sea ???? (both major parties are sadly guilty of shirking these elephant-in-the-room issues ????).
Who were the No voters?
Only 12 senators voted No on the bill, although a number of senators including One Nation leader Pauline Hanson abstained from the vote instead. The No voters included a number of Coalition conservatives – including senators Canavan, Fierravanti-Wells and Eric Abetz – as well as Labor senators Chris Ketter and Helen Polley.
I notice Cory Bernadi voted against freedom and equality. Just shows you the mark of a man by the way he votes.
Great stuff. The numbers in the Senate were always going to be tighter than the numbers in the House, where only a handful of No-voting electorates will be represented by No-voting MPs (and a good number of ALP members with No-voting electorates will vote Yes as they promised to do at the time of the last election).
Abbott will undoubtedly grandstand but he’s the guy who appears to have actually elevated the Yes vote in his own electorate so he’s only doing himself more damage.
But given no amendments got up in the Senate, it’s pretty safe that will be the same story in the House. And it will be the law of the land before Christmas.