UPDATE – 6pm: It’s official!
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Australia has done it – parliament has passed the same-sex marriage bill.
UPDATE – 5.51pm: The final amendments has been defeated.
The bill has been agreed to.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said it was a great day for love.
"What a day! What a day for love, for quality, for respect! Australia has done it," he said.
"The parliament has got on with it and we have voted today for a equality, for love, it is time for more marriages, more commitment, more love, more respect, and we respect every Australian who was voted, those who voted yes, and those who voted no, this belongs to us all, this is Australia.
"Let's do it, let's finalise the deal right now!"
The house and public gallery has erupted into applause – however the legislation has not quite been passed yet.
UPDATE – 4.45PM: Mr Broad’s second lot of amendments have been defeated.
Member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson is introducing amendments, the final lot before a vote will be taken on the same-sex marriage bill.
UPDATE – 4.20PM:
MEMBER for Mallee Andrew Broad’s first batch of amendments has been defeated 96 to 52.
Mr Broad has now introduced his second set of amendments around charities and religious institutions.
UPDATE – 4PM:
MEMBER for Mallee Andrew Broad has introduced a batch of proposed amendments to the same-sex marriage bill.
The amendments have been broken into two groups.
Mr Broad said the first one was ‘The Castle’ amendment, and referenced the popular 1997 Australian movie.
"Essentially what you do in your own home is your own business,” he said.
“This of course broadens this principle across to a religious organisation – what they do in their own facilities is their own business.
“In Castle language, their beliefs are their vibe.
“The values we hold dear as Australians are you should be able to hold your values, and you should be able to determine what happens in your own asset, which broadens across to churches, campsites, religious organisations that have been established with their money to do what they want, and they have the right to hold that value.
“That is not offensive I think and is a freedom Australians should uphold.
"Do not think you achieve freedom by giving rights to others and taking away rights to someone else
"This legislation should be about uniting Australians to say they can do what they want in their own home and they can marry who they want, but don't take away other people's freedoms at the same time."
Treasurer Scott Morrison’s amendments around charities was defeated 82 to 59 about 3.30pm.
UPDATE – 3.15PM:
DEBATE has resumed on the same-sex marriage bill.
Already today five amendments to the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 have been defeated in the House of Representatives.
The debate stopped at 1.30pm ahead of question time at 2pm, which lasted for an hour.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten offered to forego question time so the marriage equality debate could continue, but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull blocked the move.
Politicians are currently debating Treasurer Scott Morrison’s proposed amendments around protections for charities.
There are at least another two amendments to be introduced before the bill can go to a vote.
EARLIER:
THE same-sex marriage bill could pass federal parliament on Thursday.
Debate about the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 started in the House of Representatives on Monday.
It comes after the bill passed in the Senate last week.
More than 100 MPs have spoken on the bill during the week.
Member for Mallee Andrew Broad and Member for Wannon Dan Tehan will both vote for the bill, in line with the results of the same-sex marriage postal vote in their electorates.
Thursday started with marriage equality campaigners rallying on the steps of federal parliament, in anticipating of the bill passing.
They held signs stating, ‘Australia said yes. Politicians, get it done’.
Discussions in the chamber started with Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch summarising debate on the bill.
"This bill gives so much and takes from no one," he says.
"The same-sex marriage bill is a good bill. It does not need any amendments."
Tony Abbott and the Greens were the first to move amendments, but they were defeated.
Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar then introduced amendments to include separate definitions of marriage and allowing civil celebrants to refuse to marry LGBTIQ couples.
It was defeated 97-43 after a division.
Member for Canning Liberal MP Andrew Hastie moved to amend the bill to give parents the right to take their children out of classes that mention same-sex marriage.
The amendments were defeated 87 to 56.
Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Alex Hawke then moved an amendment concerning the country's defence forces, which was defeated 87 to 59.
Members of parliament were debating Treasurer Scott Morrison’s amendment about giving protection to charities before parliament adjourned at 1.30pm.
Question time will start at 2pm, with the same-sex marriage debate due to resume about 3.15pm.