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Gay marriage supporters hope leadership by states and territories will create the momentum to pass federal marriage equality laws.

The Senate debated Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young’s private member’s bill on marriage equality on Thursday, a day after the ACT assembly approved new laws for legally binding civil union ceremonies.

Tasmania and South Australian Labor premiers have vowed to legislate for same-sex marriage regardless of what federal parliament does.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young told the chamber: ‘Cupid’s arrow does not discriminate and neither should the law.’

It was time for the federal parliament to play catch-up in light of strong community support for change, she said.

‘What would allowing same-sex couples the same rights as everybody else do to diminish the institution of marriage?

‘Our parliament and our federal legislation should treat people equally.’

Tasmanian Labor senator Anne Urquhart spoke in support of gay marriage, saying it fitted her party’s values of fairness, equality and compassion.

She praised Tasmania’s leadership on the issue and attacked Queensland Liberal premier Campbell Newman’s decision to water down civil union laws so they were like ‘registering a pet or a car’.

Liberal legal affairs spokesman George Brandis said the coalition took a policy to the last election supporting the status quo and the existing definition of marriage and would not change its stance.

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States lead way on gay marriage