Today is a day of celebration for LGBTIQ Australians, and for all Australians who believe in fairness and equality.
Australians have turned out in overwhelming numbers in support of love, equality and fairness.
Together, millions of Australians have sent a powerful message to hundreds of thousands of their fellow Australians: you are loved and we are with you.
In the face of strong opposition to change, more than 7.8 million Australians 61.6 per cent of voters have voted YES for marriage equality.
Decades of struggle, advocacy and campaigning has won an historic victory.
This has been a long and difficult campaign for many LGBTIQ people, your families and friends. We salute your courage, strength and determination to win this fight.
You didnt want this process and you didnt deserve it. But you stood up to the haters and you stared down those people that seek to diminish your lives.
You have taken your campaign for love and equality to across the nation. You have changed hearts and minds.
And today you have won. The will of the people is now clear. It is time for the Parliament and the Government to finally do its job and get this done.
There can be no further dithering and no further delay Australians expect us to deliver marriage equality as quickly as possible.
Labor stands ready to progress legislation through the Parliament as quickly as possible.
Having put this country through an expensive, hurtful and divisive process, the Prime Minister must now ensure the will of the people quickly becomes law.
Even now, there are those that would seek to delay this even further, to tie it up in irrelevant arguments that should be rejected.
They know they are losing this fight, and they will do whatever they can to stop change.
So, the fight is not yet over but we are closer than we have ever been.
All of us must keep up the fight.
Maintain your enthusiasm, maintain the pressure, and together we can make marriage equality a reality.
Its time to get this done.