MPs From All Major Parties Call For Marriage Equality In Australia

"I want spring weddings."

Ahead of Bill Shorten's motion on Monday to amend the Marriage Act 1961, a rally in Sydney on Sunday saw politicians speaking out in favour of legalising same-sex marriages in Australia.

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Hundreds of people turned up at Sydney's Taylor Square to show their support for marriage equality. Speakers included Greens MP Sarah Hanson-Young, Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek and Liberal City of Sydney counsellor Christine Forster, who is the sister of Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Ms Hanson-Young told the crowd that she hoped marriage equality would be a reality by spring. "Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world and I for one am sick to death of it. Let’s catch up."

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"I want it by spring. I want spring weddings, I want summer weddings, I want marriage equality in this country legal now," she said.

"The politicians have stuffed this up for far too long," she said. "It is time that they did what their constituents want. Its time that they did what the community wants and that is this: we need a vote this year, on a bill that will pass. That means working together. No one person in our parliament is ever going to be able to make this happen."

Tanya Plibersek called for bipartisan support, claiming it is the only thing that can help this bill pass.

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"We know that there are many Liberals and Nationals who support marriage equality, and I’d love to give them the opportunity of showing that tomorrow. This is a matter that transcends politics. We have people in all of the major political parties and the Greens who support this. If we have a Liberal or National co-sponsor of the bill tomorrow and if there's a free vote granted to anyone in the Coalition party room, this can be law before the end of the year."

Liberal Christine Forster told BuzzFeed News she's hopeful that Australia will have marriage equality by the end of this year.

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"It's been a long time coming, but that's been a necessary time. [The Ireland referendum] has just kicked everything along. It's made everyone realise that you can't turn this tide back. So it's going to happen at some point, lets get on with it and do it."

"Even if it hasn't actually been passed into law [by the end of the year], the discussion will have been had, we'll know where everybody stands, hopefully it'll get through, it'll be done and dusted, as an issue and as an argument."

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