text: +1 The arguments here, for and against, aren't doing society any favours. The Australian people have long wanted marriage equality. The liberal party has been the hold up in achieving that by maintaining the party line for the last ten years and not allowing their own party members a conscience vote. The labour party has been supportive of a conscience vote for years. The stupid thing about this whole process is that it's not binding, only if a yes vote gets up will a vote happen in parliament and (liberal) politicians have already said that they're not going to be bound by the public vote. Total waste of taxpayers money. The liberal party is more interested in sucking up to its base than the consensus of the people of Australia as a whole.