A bill to legalise same-sex marriage passed the Senate on Wednesday in a historic moment in Australian politics, setting up a final vote in the House of Representatives next week.
The bill breezed through 43 votes to 12, and the moment was met with a standing ovation in the packed public and parliamentary galleries.
Senators from various parties hugged each other and cried following the vote, with some declaring it the proudest day in their parliamentary careers.
"This is the Senate's day," Liberal senator Dean Smith said shortly after. "This is a demonstration that working across the chamber ... does deliver not just good outcomes but fantastic outcomes."
An industry in need to help: marriage slides to an all-time low
Attorney-General George Brandis said he was "so proud of Australian democracy today, more proud than I have ever been". It was a day to "rejoice in what the Australian people achieved this year", he said.
The bill must now proceed to the House of Representatives. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull cancelled this week's sitting of that chamber, ostensibly to wait for the Senate to finish debating the same-sex marriage bill, which was originally expected to take until Thursday.
Labor's Senate leader Penny Wong – who is gay and fought within Labor for years to change its position on same-sex marriage – said it was a day of "great celebration for so many people across this country".
Senator Smith, the first openly gay Liberal MP, helped drive the change within the Coalition and sponsored the final bill that passed the chamber essentially unchanged on Wednesday afternoon.
"We have seen in this debate how our Parliament is meant to work," he said. "The real question out of this debate is why isn't our Parliament like this more often?"
Parliamentarians from both sides had a conscience vote on the bill, and many chose to abstain - including Employment Minister Michaelia Cash, Assistant Social Services Minister Zed Seselja and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.
Those who voted against the change included Resources Minister Matt Canavan, International Development Minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells and Labor senators Chris Ketter and Helen Polley.
Various amendments to the bill – including moves to allow civil celebrants to refuse to perform gay weddings – were defeated in the Senate on Tuesday and Wednesday by a combination of Labor, the Greens, some Coalition senators and some crossbenchers.
HOW THEY VOTED:
YES VOTERS
Liberals
Simon Birmingham
George Brandis
David Bushby
Mathias Cormann
Jonathon Duniam
Mitch Fifield
Ian Macdonald
Nigel Scullion
Anne Ruston
James Paterson
Jane Hume
Marise Payne
Linda Reynolds
Scott Ryan Dean Smith
Labor
Carol Brown
Catryna Bilyk
Doug Cameron
Kim Carr
Anthony Chisholm
Kimberley Kitching
Sue Lines
Jenny McAllister
Malarndirri McCarthy
Claire Moore
Louise Pratt
Lisa Singh
Anne Urquhart
Murray Watt
Penny Wong
Greens
Andrew Bartlett
Richard Di Natale
Sarah Hanson-Young
Nick McKim
Lee Rhiannon
Janet Rice
Jordon Steele-John
Rachel Siewert
Peter Whish-Wilson
Crossbench
Stirling Griff
Rex Patrick
David Leyonhjelm
Derryn Hinch
NO VOTERS
Labor
Chris Ketter
Helen Polley
Liberals/Nationals
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells
Eric Abetz
Slade Brockman
John Williams
Matt Canavan
Barry O'Sullivan
Crossbench
Lucy Gichuhi
Fraser Anning
Cory Bernardi
Brian Burston
DID NOT VOTE
Liberals/Nationals
Michaelia Cash (abstained)
David Fawcett (abstained)
James McGrath (abstained)
Zed Seselja (abstained)
Arthur Sinodinos (on leave)
Bridget McKenzie (abstained)
Labor
Jacinta Collins (paired)
Sam Dastyari (attending funeral)
Pat Dodson (leave)
Don Farrell (attending funeral)
Alex Gallacher
Katy Gallagher (leave)
Gavin Marshall (overseas)
Deb O'Neill (abstain)
Glenn Sterle
Crossbench
Pauline Hanson (abstained)
Peter Georgiou (abstained)
