The federal government's proposed same-sex marriage plebiscite has been defeated in the Senate.
Legislation to enable a national vote was defeated 33 votes to 29, with Labor, Greens, the Nick Xenophon Team and independent Derryn Hinch opposing it.
Liberal backbencher Dean Smith was absent from the chamber, after earlier speaking out against the plebiscite.
“Tonight the plebiscite on marriage equality was defeated in the Senate, and tonight we moved forward towards equality,” Greens’ LGBTIQ spokesperson Senator Janet Rice said in a statement.
Earlier, Liberal backbencher Dean Smith slammed his government's proposed same-sex ma
The gay senator said his opposition to the plebiscite stemmed from his position as a constitutional and parliamentary conservative.
Several gay senators made impassioned pleas against the plebiscite, telling parliament it would denigrate their families and subject them to hate speech.
Senior Labor figure Penny Wong spoke of how she decided to oppose the plebiscite after much soul-searching, deciding it was not the right path to same-sex marriage.
"We do not want our families and our children publicly denigrated," she told parliament.
"This hate speech is not abstract, it is real, it is part of our daily life."
The secular state should not impose the theology of some on all Australians, she said.
