CANBERRA, Australia (AP) – Australia’s prime minister said Tuesday that Parliament could legalize gay marriage this year if the nation’s voters endorse it in a rare nonbinding poll in November.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he expected the public would support marriage equality in the so-called plebiscite, and that he would personally campaign for a ‘yes’ vote. It would be only the fourth time in Australian history, and first time in 43 years, that the government puts a legally nonbinding question to the electorate.
“I have other calls on my time as prime minister, but I will certainly support a ‘yes’ vote,” Turnbull told reporters.
The conservative Liberal Party-led coalition was narrowly re-elected in July 2016 with a promise to let voters decide whether Australia should recognize same-sex marriage through a popular vote. But the Senate in November blocked the plebiscite, which would cost 170 million Australian dollars ($135 million) and promote a divisive public debate.
The Liberal Party held a crisis meeting late Monday to resolve infighting and rejected a push to allow lawmakers to decide the issue now.