Australian gay marriage bills find support

SYDNEY, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The countdown for gay marriage equality has started in Australia with a series of bills circulating through parliament.

Australian lawmakers this week have introduced separate bills that essentially share the same objective: to re-write Australia' s marriage laws while also being careful not to alienate the powerful religious lobby.

The timing seems right, despite long-term resistance from the opposition coalition, who it seems will allow members to vote according to their beliefs.

A poll released Monday showed that almost two out of every three Australians supports same-sex marriage with support strongest among young urban voters from Sydneylike Colin. "Definitely and absolutely - I'm a gay guy. So yeah I'd like the right to get married to who I choose to," he said.

According to a Galaxy poll this week, over 80 percent of people aged 18 to 24 said they supported same-sex marriage.

However, while a slight majority, just 51 percent of Australians aged 50 to 64, in favor, the bills are still far from becoming law, especially with Australia's often vicious party politics getting in the way of high-stakes legislation.

In Sydney, a motion will also be tabled in the NSW parliament giving in-principle support to gay marriage, where similar motions already passed in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.