There would probably be a sudden loss of interest in gay "marriage". The whole thing would lose its 'let's-drag-society-to-the bottom' effect.

Privatising marriage is matter of when, not if. Australia has the opportunity to lead the World by getting the State out of the marriage business.

The proposal appears to be a very prolonged and round-about way of getting to the same end as to what was just achieved in Ireland.

It would take years to achieve 'privatisation of marriage' and for very little real benefit. Wouldn't it just be easier to broaden the definition of the word marriage, and then get over it.

It is obvious a lot of smart people (probably well paid academics on government grants) have been thinking about this and they went to a lot of trouble to explain their theory but let's get real, that's never going to happen, especially here in Australia.

I've been saying this for ages man.

It would then be legal to cohabit without the government deciding you are 'de-facto' married.

It's quite a bizarre state of affairs when the government enforces two people to be obligated to each other financially when the two people involved have never made any such commitment, agreement or contract.

The article contains: "In many countries including Australia, religion is privatised. This is commonly known as the separation of church and state."

The above is not true.

If a country has separation of church and state the religion of the citizens is no business of the state. Very few countries have separation of religion and state. The Marxist countries did not have it. The governments promoted atheism. The Marxist governments made religion the business of the state.

Australia does not have it. What is called religious education in the schools is really indoctrination in a particular religion. Religious education in a country with separation of church and state would simply tell about the different religions and those who reject them all without recommending any course of action. A country with separation of church and state would not have chaplains in the public schools or subsidise religious schools. None of the cost of religious schools would be provided by government if there were separation of church and state.

I would like to have such separation in Australia. We do not have it.

yep I doubt whether Bill Shorten or others would want the simple facts of how unhealthy sodomy is. To promote it to our kids is sick indeed.