So far more than 83 per cent of respondents on a Bunbury Mail online poll have said they are ready to accept gay marriage as pressure mounts across the country to make it legal.
In less than two days, more than 500 people weighed in on our website with 419 stating they were in support of the legislation change.
What do you think? Vote now in our poll below.
Many people took to social media to express their views after it was reported that Federal member for Forrest Nola Marino did not believe it was time to change the Australian Marriage Act.
Mrs Marino has said the “divisiveness” of the contentious debate proves that the law should not be changed at this time.
Mrs Marino acknowledged that many people in the community held strong views on the subject, both for and against same sex marriage.
“The Act defines a marriage as “the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life", and it is my position that a significant proportion of Australians currently agree with that definition,” Mrs Marino said.
“Many people across Australia and in the South West in particular have deeply held beliefs about marriage, especially its role in supporting families and the community.
“They regard the issue as more about these roles than a debate about individual rights.”
About 5000 people turned out at a Perth “Love Rally” on Sunday, which was Australia's largest turn out of people behind marriage equality.
The rally cry was to create the momentum for a cross-party, free conscience vote after federal politicians return to Canberra in August after their winter break.
"The Act defines a marriage as “the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life"
- Local member for Forrest Nola Marino
A national Fairfax/Ipsos poll last month revealed that public support to legalise same-sex marriage was at its highest level in almost five years.
The poll finds 68 per cent of voters support gay marriage whereas one quarter, or 25 per cent, are opposed.
The support is 3 percentage points higher than the 65 per cent recorded when the issue was last polled by Fairfax Media in August 2013.
It is the highest level of support recorded on the six occasions the issue has been tested by Fairfax since November 2010. Back then, support was a poll-low of 57 per cent.
The 25 per cent opposition to gay marriage is also the lowest level recorded in the poll. It is a fall of 3 points since August 2013 and down from a poll high of 37 per cent in November 2010.
