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

Jessica WarrinerEastern Reporter

AUSTRALIA has said yes to marriage equality, with WA returning the third-highest result in the nation.

In WA, 63.7 per cent of respondents voted yes in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, following 74 per cent in the ACT and 64.9 per cent in Victoria.

The Federal electorate of Curtin had the strongest yes vote in WA with 72.2 per cent, while Burt had the lowest, with 57 per cent voting yes and 43 per cent voting no.

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Voters within the Tangney electorate, which includes people living in the cities of Canning and Melville, showed their support for same-sex marriage with a vote of 61.6 per cent.

A total of 78,428 votes were received across the electorate, with 48,338 in support and 30,090 (38.4 per cent) against.

Richmond Wellbeing in Cannington, a mental health care provider that recently achieved LGBTI tick accreditation, welcomed the outcome.

“For us, mental health and wellbeing has always been at the centre of this discussion, so we are delighted with the outcome of the marriage equality vote,” chief executive Neil Guard said.

“The research clearly shows that a disproportionate number of LGBTI Australians experience significantly poorer mental health outcomes than their peers, and that these health outcomes are directly related to experiences of stigma, prejudice, discrimination and abuse on the basis of being LGBTI.”

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Wednesday morning that the people of Australia had spoken and 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.