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posted by martyb on Saturday November 18 2017, @01:15AM   Printer-friendly
from the changing-tide dept.

Australians have voted 61.6% to approve of same-sex marriage, and the Turnbull-led government has said it would aim to pass legislation by Christmas:

Australians decisively support same-sex marriage

Australians have overwhelmingly voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage in a historic poll. The non-binding postal vote showed 61.6% of people favour allowing same-sex couples to wed, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said. Jubilant supporters have been celebrating in public spaces, waving rainbow flags and singing and dancing.

A bill to change the law was introduced into the Senate late on Wednesday. It will now be debated for amendments. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said his government would aim to pass legislation in parliament by Christmas. "[Australians] have spoken in their millions and they have voted overwhelmingly yes for marriage equality," Mr Turnbull said after the result was announced. "They voted yes for fairness, yes for commitment, yes for love."

The issue only went to a voluntary postal vote after a long and bitter debate about amending Australia's Marriage Act. The result on Wednesday brings an end to what was at times a heated campaign. The vote itself had been criticised by same-sex marriage supporters, many of whom said it was unnecessary when parliament could debate the issue directly.

Related: (U.S.) Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Same-Sex Marriage
One in Three People Globally Think Gay Marriage Should Be Legal
Taiwanese Court Invalidates Ban on Same-Sex Marriage


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @01:50AM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @01:50AM (#598498)

    Why do we bother having a Constitution then? What purpose does that server?

    Sweet mary mother of god what will it take to get some common sense into these creatures?

  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @03:13AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @03:13AM (#598534)

    The whole point of a Constitution is to explicitly list which authorities The People have delegated to the government, and which authorities The People may never delegate to the government.

    For instance, the American Constitution states that the American People have delegated to the United States Government the authority to control immigration; however, the Constitution also states that the United States Government may never even accept from the American People the authority over keeping and bearing arms. The authorities that are not explicitly mentioned are known as "Unenumerated rights", and they are left to the States to discuss between the Governments of those States and the People of those States, as restricted similarly by the Constitutions of those States.

  • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @03:51AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @03:51AM (#598558)

    "will it take to get some common sense into these creatures"

    Unpossible. You can't hammer empathy into a rock, you can't beat compassion into a stick, and you can't screw common sense into these "creatures" as you call them.

  • (Score: 2, Funny) by aristarchus on Saturday November 18 2017, @09:30PM

    by aristarchus (2645) on Saturday November 18 2017, @09:30PM (#598757) Journal

    Why do we bother having a Constitution then?

    Australia? What need is there for a piece of paper, when you got drop-bears? (And Billabongs and bandicoots, for real.)

    What purpose does that server?

    Your purpose has been severed? Or was it a severe purpose? Several potential severances of this sentence are served.

    Sweet mary mother of god what will it take to get some common sense into these creatures?

    Mary, eh? Catholic, then. Marianist, probably. So we want to keep the gays out of marriage, so we can convince them to be celibate priests? Abstinence makes the Church grow Fondlers! Who needs separation of Church and Australia, when you got Funnel Webs, and Taipans.