Gay Alcorn writes that there has long been a disconnect between the electorate’s attitudes to same-sex marriage and the way elected representatives were prepared to vote. According to research soon to be published in the Australian Journal of Political Science, not a single politician who wanted to legalise same-sex marriage in the failed attempt in 2012 now has doubts. But by 2016 almost 60% of Labor MPs who voted no had shifted to supporting same-sex marriage, and 21% of Coalition MPs had changed their minds. The high court’s decision that the same-sex marriage survey is valid continues the great Australian tradition of making reform protracted and painful, writes David Marr. Sign upIf you would like to receive the Guardian Australia morning mail to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here.

Source: The Guardian September 07, 2017 21:10 UTC