Abbott fails to kill bill

Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott has failed in his bid to effectively kill off legislation allowing same-sex couples to marry. Abbott’s amendment to the bill before parliament was shut down yesterday, allowing it to proceed to the final stages of becoming law after it passed the Senate last week without amendment. Abbott said he moved the amendment ‘‘out of respect for the millions of Australians who take religious freedom seriously’’, but ‘‘out of respect for the millions who want the SSM bill swiftly passed, I chose not to divide on it’’.