Right: Just say no! A group of American anti-gay activists get their message across.
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Background information
(The following information is an edited version of the Wikipedia entry titled 'Recognition of same-sex unions in Australia'. The full text of the entry can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recognition_of_same-sex_unions_in_Australia#Same-sex_marriage')
The history of Same-Sex Marriage Bills in Australia
Since 2004, the Marriage Act 1961 has been amended explicitly to define marriage as 'the union between a man and a woman'. In addition, Australian law expressly declares that unions between same-sex couples entered into outside the country are not to be recognised as marriage in Australia. Thus same-sex marriages are currently not permitted under Australian federal law.
In 2004, amendments to the Superannuation Industry Supervision Act allow tax free payment of superannuation benefits to be made to the surviving partner of an interdependent relationship that included same sex couples, or a relationship where one person was financially dependent on another person.
The subsequent Labor Government continued some of this progress in November 2008, when the Australian Parliament passed laws that recognised same-sex couples in federal law, offering them the same rights as unmarried heterosexual couples in areas such as taxation, social security and health, aged care and employment. This means that same-sex couples who can prove they are in a de facto relationship have most of the rights of married couples since 1 July 2009.
Australia does not have a national registered partnership or civil union scheme.
The Labor Party no longer opposes same-sex marriage, though Prime Minister Julia Gillard has maintained her opposition. The Liberal opposition remain opposed to same-sex marriage. The Labor Party now allows a conscience vote on the issue; the Coalition does not.
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Same-Sex Marriages Bill 2006
In June 2006, Senator Stott Despoja introduced into Federal Parliament the Same-Sex Marriages Bill 2006, a private member's bill. The bill aimed to reverse the changes that were made in the Marriage Amendment Act 2004. It would have provided equal status, recognition, treatment and eliminated all legislative discrimination between same-sex and heterosexual couples. The bill has stalled indefinitely, but remains on the Parliament's current bills list.
Same-Sex Marriage Bill 2008 (Tasmania)
Greens MP Nick McKim introduced the Same-Sex Marriage Bill 2008 into Tasmania's House of Assembly in July 2008. McKim introduced a similar bill to the House in April 2005. Neither bill has progressed to a Second Reading.
Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2009
In June 2009 Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young introduced the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2009 to legislate for marriage rights for same-sex couples. It would amend the Marriage Act 1961 to remove all discriminatory references based on sexuality and gender identity and allow marriage regardless of sex, sexuality and gender. The inquiry reported negatively by 26 November.[104] A "National Year of Action for Equal Marriage Rights" started a few days later, on 28 November by mass demonstrations. On 25 February 2010 the bill was rejected by the Senate. Previously in 2007, former Greens Senator Kerry Nettle, introduced a similar bill, the Marriage (Relationships Equality) Amendment Bill 2007.
2011 conscience vote
Despite Julia Gillard's personal opposition to gay marriage, Labor voted in favour of same-sex marriage. The motion on the conscience vote was carried 208 votes to 184.