Push for action on marriage law move

LABOR and the Greens will push to get same-sex marriage laws drafted by Liberal senator Dean Smith onto the Senate floor next week.

The results of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey will be released on November 15, a day before the Senate is scheduled to debate what is known as “private senators Bill”.

Polls are pointing to a victory for the ‘yes’ vote, after which Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised the Government would facilitate a private Bill to change marriage laws.

The Labor caucus resolved on October 17 that Senator Smith’s Bill “strikes an acceptable compromise” between marriage equality and religious freedoms.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale is also understood to support the Bill being introduced on Thursday, but his party room will finalise its position early next week.

Senator Smith’s Bill allows same-sex couples to wed, while creating exemptions for religious organisations that would allow them to refuse to conduct same-sex marriages.

The conservatives want to go further by legislating protections to allow schools to teach students about the traditional view of marriage without having to canvass other views.

“We will wait to see what the final Bill looks like before we give a firm commitment as to how we will vote,” Senator Di Natale said.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor would give the Smith Bill “very favourable consideration”. He said conservatives were “on notice” they would be arguing with the Australian people if they attempted to delay the law change.

The House of Representatives and Senate will sit for two weeks from November 27.