Marriage debate on fast track

THE same-sex marriage Bill will be introduced to Parliament this week if the Yes vote succeeds in the postal vote.

It is sooner than anticipated, as rather than waiting for the House to sit again in a fortnight, Liberal Senator Dean Smith will introduce it to Parliament on Thursday.

The results of the survey will be revealed on Wednesday morning by the Australian Bureau of Statistics following the two-month postal survey.

If the Yes vote succeeds the Government will facilitate a private member’s Bill to legalise same-sex marriage; should the No vote have the numbers it will not.

While conservative MPs intend to move a number of amendments around religious protections, or an alternative Bill, Leader of the House Christopher Pyne said it was up to the Parliament whether those were accepted.

“The Government won’t be trying to stop people from bringing forward amendments,” Mr Pyne told Sky News.

“I won’t be voting for any changes to a Bill that allow people to discriminate against people of the same sex, regardless of the issue.”

He said the exceptions were religious institutions and celebrants who would be allowed to decline to marry same-sex couples.

More than 12.3 million Australians have taken part in the postal vote.