Over 67% of post forms returned

NEARLY 11 million Australians have responded to the same-sex marriage postal survey with three weeks to go, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has reported.

The update reveals a further 800,000 forms were received in the week to October 13 to take the total to 10.8 million.

The response rate is 67.5 per cent of the 16 million Australians eligible to vote, indicating that when the survey closes on November 7, the total response is set to be above 70 per cent.

The figures come as opinion polls suggest that the “yes” vote is likely to prevail.

The Government has said that in the event of a majority “yes” vote, it will facilitate a private member’s Bill in Parlia- ment which, if passed, would allow same-sex people to marry by the end of the year.

Longtime marriage equality advocate Rodney Croome welcomed a Labor pledge yesterday to back a marriage equality Bill proposed by Liberal senator Dean Smith which ensures ministers of religion, religious civil celebrants and some religious organisations will not be forced to conduct same-sex weddings.

The Smith Bill has been criticised by some conservatives who argue that it does not have strong enough provisions to allow commercial enterprises to refuse to cater for a samesex marriage.

“The Smith Bill provides more than enough protection for the religious freedom and conscience,” Mr Croome said.