Australia: Govt announces postal vote on same-sex marriage

The Australian Government has announced it will host a postal vote on marriage equality, if a bid to win support for a nationwide plebiscite fails in the Senate for the second time.

After a long party-room meeting, the government announced it will put its plebiscite Bill to Parliament again this week, and if that fails, will conduct a voluntary plebiscite by post through the Australian electoral



commission.

The decision was confirmed by Australia’s Finance Minister Mathias Cormann on Monday, meaning Australia could have gay marriage by the end of the year.

Same-sex marriage is supported by 61 percent of Australians, a 2016 Gallup opinion poll showed, but the issue has fractured the government and damaged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s standing with voters.