Australian marriage equality advocates have welcomed reports that the Young Liberals will urge the federal party to allow a conscience vote on the issue.

SA Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham says all Australians should have equal rights, including marriage rights.

Welcome to our last issue before Christmas 2012.

Anti-gay Liberal firebrand Cory Bernardi, who recently suggested same-sex marriage will lead to a moral slippery slope ending at bestiality, has kept his position on top of the party’s South Australian Senate ticket for next year’s federal election ahead of Simon Birmingham, a supporter of marriage equality.

The debate on Senator Sarah Hanson-Young’s marriage equality bill will get underway in the Federal Senate tomorrow.

Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham has once again called for Coalition MPs to be given a conscience vote on the issue of marriage equality, despite this week’s moves by federal Coalition leader Tony Abbott and shadow Cabinet to block a free vote on the issue when it comes up for debate in Federal Parliament next year.

Coalition leader Tony Abbott has remained non-committal over whether to grant his MPs a conscience vote on the issue of marriage equality despite a new Galaxy poll showing that 76 per cent of Coalition voters would support such a move.