Labor Senator Penny Wong has welcomed today’s poll showing that a record number of Australian’s support marriage equality and has said that the country is edging closer to allowing same sex marriage.

Read More: Poll Shows Support for Marriage Equality at All Time High

Speaking to ABC radio this morning the Senator commented on a private member bill put forward forward by Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm.

“We don’t want this to fail again — we want a debate which has the capacity of a bill passing, and marriage equality being achieved,” Senator Wong told ABC Radio this morning.

“But to get that we’ve got to have Tony Abbott being prepared to allow his party to vote with their conscience.”

Labor’s Deputy Leader Tanya Plibersek has also proposed a similar bill in the lower house.

Both Ms Plibersek and Mr Leeyonhjelm have indicated that they will only introduce the bills if the Prime Minister allows Liberal Party members a free vote on the issue.

Read More: Senator Leyonjhelm announces Marriage Equality Bill

Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to change his stance on this issue.

Prior to the 2013 election the response of Liberal members had been strict party line that marriage was only between a man and a woman, but in the lead up to the election Mr Abbott and other senior Minister said the issue of  a conscience vote would be decided by the party room after the election.

Last month retiring Liberal member Senator Sue Boyce, a outspoken advocate for marriage equality, told News Corp that she believed the party would allow a conscience vote later in the year.

“I would be reasonably confident that we will get to the situation by the end of the year that the Liberal Party will allow a conscience vote on (gay marriage),” she said. “On that basis, I would expect any legislation would come before parliament quickly soon after that and it would get voted on.”

OIP Staff