Ausssie Senate passes gay marriage bill Australian state allows euthanasia

Sydney, Nov. 29: Australia’s upper house Senate on Wednesday passed a bill paving the way for the legalisation of gay marriage, rejecting a conservative push to broaden religious freedom protections.

The law is expected to pass through the lower house of Parliament comfortably before Christmas after most lawmakers agreed to honour “the will of Australians” who voted in favour of samesex marriage in a recent nationwide postal vote.

“We are a part of an act of acceptance, an act of inclusion, an act of respect, an act of celebration, a day when this Senate declares our acceptance of our LGBTIQ ( lesbian, gay, bi, trans, intersex, queer) brothers and our sisters,” said Australia’s highestprofile gay politician, Labor’s Penny Wong.

“( The bill) says to so many Australians, this parliament, this country, accepts you for who you are. Your love is not lesser, and nor are you,” she added. Melbourne: An Australian state Parliament has legalised euthanasia for the terminally ill with MPs voting to give patients the right to request a lethal drug to end their lives from 2019.

The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill was passed by the state parliament of Victoria after a comprehensive, historic and passionate debate in both lower and upper houses and the legislation.

The bill will now go through an 18- month implementation period before it comes into effect in June 2019.

Senators voted 43- 12 in favour of the bill after rejecting calls to extend protections that allow religious ministers to refuse to conduct gay weddings to other services providers, such as bakers and florists.