PM sets festive deadline

HOW COAST VOTED

SENATOR Penny Wong shed tears of joy and AFLW champion Erin Phillips planned to renew her wedding vows as Australia celebrated a significant endorsement of marriage equality.

The first legally recognised same-sex weddings are on track to take place before Christmas after 61.6 per cent of voters said Yes in the national marriage survey and a Bill to legalise marriage equality was introduced to Parliament.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has urged Federal Parliament to “get on with it” and implement the results of the survey.

“They voted Yes for fairness, they voted Yes for commitment, they voted Yes for love,” Mr Turnbull said.

“Now it’s up to us, here in the Parliament of Australia, to get on with it – to get on with the job the Australian people have tasked us to do and get this done, this year, before Christmas.”

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten vowed to celebrate and then legislate same-sex marriage.

More than 7.81 million, or 61.6 per cent of voters, supported marriage equality, while 4.87 million, or 38.4 per cent, voted No.

Full debate on a marriage equality bill introduced by Liberal Senator Dean Smith will begin in the Senate today.

In order to address the concerns of conservative MPs, Attorney-General George Brandis will introduce amendments

to allow civil celebrants to opt out of marrying samesex couples.

The amendments would also ensure that people who oppose same-sex marriage would be able to publicly express their views.

Conservative Liberal James Patterson dropped plans for a rival marriage equality bill, which would have allowed florists and bakers to refuse to provide goods for same-sex weddings.