Same-sex marriage bill introduced to Senate on day of historic Yes vote

The Australian people have voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage in the government's voluntary postal survey, triggering Malcolm Turnbull's promise to change the Marriage Act.

People celebrate after the announcement of the same-sex marriage postal survey result in front of the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne Source: AAP

Key points

• Yes wins: 61 per cent of Australians vote to legalise same-sex marriage
• Malcolm Turnbull wants to make it legal by Christmas
• Dean Smith's bill to change the Marriage Act introduced in Senate
• Coalition conservatives want stronger religious exemptions

The Senate will on Thursday debate the wording of a bill to change the Marriage Act, after Australians voted decisively in favour of allowing same-sex couples to marry in a landmark national survey. 

The Yes vote triumphed in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, accounting for 61.6 per cent of the vote, while 38.4 per cent of respondents voted No. 

A private member's bill, co-sponsored by both major parties, was introduced in the Senate late on Wednesday afternoon, kicking off a legislative process that could see same-sex marriage legalised by Christmas. 

The results of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey were announced on Wednesday morning by the head of the Australian Bureau of Statistics David Kalisch, ending a divisive three-month campaign.