Australian Senate Rejects Marriage

As was expected, yesterday the Australian Senate followed the lead of the House and rejected a same-sex marriage bill. The vote was 41-26.

Australian Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson used the debate to take a swipe at the "highly offensive" remarks of Liberal Cory Bernardi who suggested legalising gay marriage could lead to calls for the legalisation of bestiality. The comments sparked a furore and cost Senator Bernardi job as a shadow parliamentary secretary. "I can't think of anything more offensive you could say to a gay person," Senator Whish-Wilson told parliament. To the howls of Coalition senators, he said he hoped voters realised that's what they were going to get if they voted Liberal. "Obviously we've hit a raw nerve. He wears your colours and he has gone up in the chamber and made an extreme comment," Senator Whish-Wilson said. Democratic Labor Party Senator John Madigan said he was appalled at the vilification of MPs who opposed the change. "Under the guise of compassion for the desire of same-sex couples, we have endured a non-stop campaign of denigration against those who have refused to buckle under the weight of an attack designed to pour scorn and guilt on those who have the temerity to refuse to deny their principles," he said.