Australian govt commits to gay marriage vote this year if it wins election

ParticipantstakepartintheSydneyMardiGrasParadeonMarch5,2016.PHOTO:AFP

(REUTERS) TheAustraliangovernmentsaidonSunday(March6)itwillholdapublicvoteonsame-sexmarriagelaterthisyearifitwinsreelection.

ThedecisioncomesadayafterPrimeMinisterMalcolmTurnbullbrushedasidecriticismfromstaunchlyconservativeelementsofhisCoalitiongovernmenttoattendSydney'sannualgayMardiGrasparade.

Attorney-GeneralGeorgeBrandissaidlegislationwouldbepushedthroughparliamentbeforetheendoftheyearifthegovernmentvotedinfavourofapprovinggaymarriage."Wewillbegoingtotheelectionpromisingaplebiscitebeforetheendoftheyear,"BrandistoldSkyNews.

"IbelievethatmarriageisoneofthefundamentalinstitutionsofsocietyandIthinkit'simportantthefundamentalinstitutionsofsocietyreflectthefundamentalvaluesofsociety,"headded.

"Treatinggaypeopleequallyis,Ithink,oneofthefundamentalvaluesofmodern,Australiansociety."

Australiahasbeencriticisedbyinternationalhumanrightsgroupsoveritsslownesstoactonsame-sexmarriage.Severalcountries,includingCanada,theUnitedKingdom,UnitedStates,France,NewZealand,IrelandandSouthAfrica,havealreadyamendedtheirmarriagelawstorecognisesame-sexunions.

Turnbull,consideredamoderateinhisLiberalParty-ledconservativeCoalitiongovernment,haslongattendedSydney'sworld-famousMardiGrasasitfallswithinhiselectorate.

However,hisappearanceatSaturday'slesbian,gay,bisexualandtransgender(LGBT)prideparadethroughthecity'sinnerstreetswasthefirstforasittingprimeminister."I'mveryproudtobethefirstPMtoattend,"Turnbulltweeted,alongwithaphotographofhimselfandwifeLucyattheevent.

Thefederaloppositionhasputpressureonthegovernmenttomovequickeronsame-sexmarriage,pledgingtoskipaplebisciteandintroduceabilltoparliamentwithin100daysifitwinsthefederalelection.

Turnbull'sgovernmentremainsaheadinthepollsfortheelection,whicharelikelytobeheldbetweenSeptemberandNovemberthisyear,althoughthegaphasnarrowedinrecentweeks.PoliticalwranglinghasalsoleftopentheoptionofanelectionbeingheldinJuly.