Pyne hopeful marriage survey will survive High Court challenges

Defence Industry minister Christopher Pyne says he’s hopeful that the government’s plan to hold a postal survey on marriage equality will survive two High Court challenges.

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week the High Court will hear two challenges against the government’s plan to use the Australian Bureau of Statistics to conduct the national wide opinion gathering exercise.

The minister said he wouldn’t speculate on what might happen if the court struck down the governments plan.

“I think that we have to deal with what we have ahead of us and what we have ahead of us is the High Court making a decision,” Pyne said

“If the High Court rules against the postal vote going ahead, then I guess we’ll have to consider options after that, but we are certainly making our best efforts to ensure that we keep our policy, which was a national vote, everyone having a say, everyone being part of this decision.

“I hope that it will be a yes decision and then we can pass a bill by the end of the year and we can all get on with a lot of other issues that people think are very important.”

Pyne said the marriage bill put forward by Senator Dean Smith had sufficient protections for religious freedoms.

OIP Staff