Liberal Senator James Paterson has announced he is dropping his controversial marriage bill.
The Victorian senator posted a statement to his Facebook page saying that it was clear that the majority of his colleagues supported Senator Dean Smith’s marriage bill.
“I am very pleased with the strong “Yes” result today. At last, same sex couples will be able to get married, as I have long advocated.
“The parliament must now quickly pass a bill to legalise same sex marriage. It is clear the majority of senators believe my colleague Senator Dean Smith’s Bill is where we should start.
“I will now work constructively with my parliamentary colleagues over the coming weeks on amendments to ensure that the strongest possible protections for the freedoms of all Australians are enshrined in the final legislation.” Senator Paterson posted.
The conservative marriage bill had received widespread criticism and had been described as an attempt to roll back longstanding anti-discrimination laws.
Last night Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull voiced his support for Senator Smith’s marriage bill, saying the proposal put forward by Senator Paterson had virtually no chance of being passed by parliament or accepted by the Australian people.
OIP Staff
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