For the last few days I've been in Darwin, speaking with church leaders about the Northern Territory Government’s proposed changes to their anti-discrimination legislation, including a proposal that the language in the Act be ‘modernised’ to remove so-called offensive language, such as the terms “man” and “woman”. 

We accept the result of the same-sex marriage postal survey. That is not in question. We lost.

Australia will redefine marriage.

For this week’s special summer collection of Voice for Values we hear from Senator the Hon Matthew Canavan speaking at EMBOLDEN, ACL’s 2017 national conference.

It’s almost a week since we learned the result of the marriage plebiscite.

While there is understandable disappointment, there is also optimism about the future.

After the result of the marriage plebiscite has been announced, what shall we do? Shall we be disheartened and do nothing or shall we continue to stand up for the freedom of speech and religion?

It’s a disappointing day. And sometimes as Christians we find ourselves in a season of Lament.

Indeed, there is a whole book of the Bible called Lamentations. I just happened to be in Chapters three and four as part of my devotional readings this morning.

Tomorrow at 10am we will know the results of the marriage postal plebiscite.

I will be hunkered down with our Coalition for Marriage and ACL Team at a hotel in Sydney.

Having fought so hard for so long, we want to be together.

The marathon marriage campaign ended this afternoon at 4.30pm.  After three months, thousands of Coalition for Marriage volunteers downed tools. We all feel a bit sad today – it has been such a bonding experience.

In what could be a line from St Paul, neither perpendicular middle fingers, banners cut down nor screamed abuse from passing hoons has been enough to deter our magnificent Freedom Team volunteers from chasing every last vote.

The Australian Christian Lobby has written to Sydney’s Inner West City Council ahead of tonight’s council meeting asking them to reject staff recommendations to use ratepayers’ money for a celebratory LGBTIQ picnic and mardi gras float.