Australia votes ‘yes’ to same sex marriage, with WA among the leaders

AUSTRALIA has said yes to marriage equality, but the electorate of Burt has returned once of the closest results in the state.

WA returned the third-highest result in the nation, with 63.7 per cent of respondents voting yes in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, following 74 per cent in the ACT and 64.9 per cent in Victoria.

However Burt returned the second-lowest yes vote in the state with 57 per cent, just ahead of O’Connor with 56.2 per cent but well behind leaders Curtin, who returned the strongest yes vote with 72.2 per cent.

The electorates of Canning and Hasluck returned a 60.2 and 62.4 per cent yes vote respectively.

Burt MHR Matt Keogh said while the survey had not been his preferred method, he was happy Australians had made their voices heard.

“In the face of strong opposition to change, more than 7.8 million Australians have voted yes for marriage equality,” he said.

“The results in Burt reflect the trend in Western Australia with every single Federal Division voting ‘Yes’.

“This is great news for the LGBTIQ community in Western Australia who have been subject to discrimination for far too long because of who they love.

“There can be no further dithering or delays – Australians expect us to deliver marriage equality as quickly as possible.”

Canning MHR Andrew Hastie said he congratulated the yes campaign on their victory.

“During the campaign, I argued in favour of retaining the current definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman and I also voted NO in the Marriage Postal Survey, alongside 4,873, 987 Australians,” he said.

“Out of respect for the Australian people, I will not be voting against the legislation to change the Marriage Act.

“Rather, as I have previously said on the public record, it is my intention to abstain because I cannot vote against my conscience.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he intends to make same sex marriage law by Christmas.

Members of Parliament are not bound by the result of the survey, but the government has promised to allow MPs a conscience vote on a same-sex marriage bill.