The ACT government is pushing to become the first state to legislate same-sex marriage after a recent report from NSW indicated that state marriage equality was not unconstitutional.

The Territory Same-Sex Marriage Act will be introduced during the Legislative Assembly in the near future.

The ACT Government has been at the forefront for legislating LGBT equality, in 2008 it recognised same-sex civil partnerships, they also reinstated legally binding ceremonies just last year.

ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell is in support of marriage equality in the state.

“There is a clear majority on the floor of the Legislative Assembly that would support such as scheme, and we have a clear legal power to legislate in this space,” he said.

“We will be proceeding with the preparation and introduction of that legislation to give same-sex couples legal recognition and legal equality when it comes to the recognition of their relationship”.

Parliamentary agreement between the ACT Greens and Labor means that the Government must progress towards marriage equality.

Nadine Walker