Like much else in the forty-fifth parliament’s infancy, the same-sex marriage plebiscite has become hostage to the dynamics of contemporary politics: a weakened prime minister, a ferociously oppositional federal opposition led by a man also less than secure in his job, and a large, attention-craving Senate crossbench. As with last week’s big topic, political finance...

The High Court in 2013 overturned the understanding of marriage in the Marriage Act 1961 as an exclusive, voluntary, heterosexual union for life, and that the Constitution therefore allowed the introduction of same sex marriage if the Parliament so decided. It is argued that the High Court’s decision was incorrect. In effect, the Constitution has...

Despite families being much smaller, parents being older, mothers being better educated and having much higher employment rates, child poverty has risen significantly since the 1960s. In 1961, 95 percent of children were born to married couples; by 2015 the proportion had fallen to 53 percent. For Maori, 72 percent of births were to married...

Most Australians support marriage equality and the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Act 2013 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexuality. However, the Marriage Amendment Act 2004 discriminates on the basis of sex, sexuality and gender by not allowing same sex couples to marry and by not recognising the overseas...

Under the Marriage Act 1961, a Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrant must: complete Certificate IV in Celebrancy be assessed as a fit and proper person, and pay an application fee and ongoing annual fees ministers of religion authorised to solemnise marriages are not subject to these standards and obligations Ministers of religion wishing to solemnise marriages must...