Australia celebrates ‘day for love’ as parliament passes same sex marriage in landslide vote
Fewer than five of 150 MPs voted against the law, which passed without amendment
Australia’s parliament has legislated for marriage equality, passing a bill almost unanimously to allow two people, regardless of sex, to marry.
On Thursday the House of Representatives passed a cross-party bill after an unprecedented national postal survey gave unstoppable momentum to legislate the historic social reform.
Australia, which changed the law in 2004 to say that marriage is only between a man and a woman, has now become the 26th nation to legalise same-sex marriage.
The lower house passed marriage equality with almost all members of the governing Liberal-National Coalition joining Labor, the Greens, and cross-bench MPs in a free vote to pass the bill which cleared the Senate last week without amendment.
WATCH: Same sex marriage bill voted into law by Australian House of Representatives
Here’s the moment the #MarriageEquality bill passed the Australian Parliament #auspol pic.twitter.com/MUoBTgBIhk— Political Alert (@political_alert) December 7, 2017
The only no votes were Coalition MPs Russell Broadbent, Keith Pitt, David Littleproud and independent MP Bob Katter. Tony Smith declared the vote carried, since fewer than five MPs opposed it.
