Tag Archives: Tasmania

Tasmania’s upper legislative chamber has rejected its marriage equality bill.   Last month a similar bill passed in the state Assembly. Gay marriage advocates have vowed to keep campaigning as numbers mount against them in the first attempt at pioneering state-based same sex marriage. The numbers for reform in Tasmania were lost tonight when the eighth voice against the bill was …

The last Australian state to decriminalize homosexuality may be the first to legalize same-sex marriage. Tasmania’s House of Assembly has passed a bill to allow gay couples to marry. After more than four hours of debate the bill was passed 13 votes to 11. The long-serving Speaker Michael Polley was the only Labor MP to vote against the legislation and …

The lower chamber of Tasmania’s parliament is considering same-sex marriage. The bill has strong support from the Greens and may pass there, but it faces stronger opposition in the Upper House. The debate is taking place at this writing and a vote may come at any time. Watch live here.

In a move that will pressure Australia’s national government, the head of the state of Tasmania announced today that same-sex marriage may be legalized there later this year. The move appeared to catch the federal government and other states by surprise, with Victoria refusing to say if it would recognise same-sex marriages from Tasmania – and restating its view that …

The legislature of the Australian island state of Tasmania has voted to recognize same-sex marriages and civil unions from other jurisdictions. Only three of the 25 Lower House MPs voted against the amendment to the Relationships Act – Liberal members Rene Hidding, Michael Ferguson and Jacqui Petrusma. Attorney-General Lara Giddings says the changes will remove discrimination for same-sex couples in …