It was defeated on Monday night 33 to 29 with Labor, the Greens, the three-member Nick Xenophon Team and Derryn Hinch voting against it. The government attracted just six of the crossbench - the Four Hansonites (including Rod Culleton whose future has been referred to the High Court), independent Jacqui Lambie and Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm.
The decision has left the Coalition essentially without a viable policy, and Labor advocating the question be settled by a parliamentary vote, which the government will hold out against to the last breath of its conservative wing.
The plebiscite was dead once a large portion of the LGBTI community became increasingly militant in fighting the plan. Bill Shorten, who opposed it in the election campaign, was never going to swing his support behind it post-election in defiance of a significant section of those affected.
Their opposition coincided with his political self interest. Shorten would like to be the one to deliver marriage equality.
