According to marriage equality advocates, Saturday’s election has seen the number of federal MPs in support of the reform increase.

Australian Marriage Equality national director, Rodney Croome, said, “All the sitting Coalition MPs who said they support marriage equality were returned.”

 “Thanks to Mr Rudd’s strong support for marriage equality a swath of pro-equality Labor candidates were elected or re-elected despite the trend against the ALP and despite strident anti-gay campaigns against them.”  “In the Lower house the number of declared supporters has increased from 42 to a likely 50, with more expected.”  “We are also pleased to the election of pro-equality Green and independent representatives in both houses.”  “We’re hopeful of assembling a majority in the Senate and take heart that the micro-parties that campaigned hardest against marriage equality will not be represented there.”  “The significance of the increase in supportive MPs is that marriage equality will be achieved not by any one party but by a cross-party conscience vote in which the number of pro-equality MPs is all-important.”

Mr Croome said Australian Marriage Equality is ready to work with supporters of all parties to move the issue forward.

“We will seek to bring supportive MPs together through a cross-party working group similar to the one successfully moving the issue forward in the NSW parliament.”   “We will also be working with supporters within the Coalition to map a path towards a conscience vote, and to lobby newly-elected Coalition MPs who have yet to declare their position.”

A list of declared supporters in the House of Representatives is included below.

In 2012 42 members of the House of Representatives voted for marriage equality. After the 2013 election, parliament will likely include at least 50 declared supporters.

They are:

1.    Gary Gray (ALP)

2.    Alanah McTernan (ALP)

3.    Kate Ellis (ALP)

4.    Catherine King (ALP)

5.    Michael Danby (ALP)

6.    Lisa Chesters (ALP)

7.    Jason Clare (ALP)

8.    Teresa Gambaro (Liberal)

9.    Wyatt Roy (Liberal)

10. Alana Griffith (ALP)

11. Gai Brodtmenn (ALP)

12. Patt Conroy (ALP)

13. Anna Burke (ALP)

14. Richard Marles (ALP)

15. Sharon Bird (ALP)

16. Andrew Wilkie (Independent)

17. Julie Collins (ALP)

18. Andrew Leigh (ALP)

19. Melissa Parke (ALP)

20. Tim Watts (ALP)

21. Brendan O’Connor (ALP)

22. Anthony Albanese (ALP)

23. Kevin Rudd (ALP)

24. Claire O’Neil (ALP)

25. Mark Dreyfus (ALP)

26. Jenny Macklin (ALP)

27. Amanda Rishworth (ALP)

28. Joanne Ryan (ALP)

29. Warren Snowden (ALP)

30. Tony Zappia (ALP)

31. Bill Shorten (ALP)

32. Michael Danby(ALP)

33. Adam Bandt (Green)

34. Graham Perrett (ALP)

35. Sharon Clayton (ALP)

36. Bernie Ripoll (ALP)

37. Mark Butler (ALP)

38. Jim Chalmers (ALP)

39. Justine Elliott (ALP)

40. Andrew Giles (ALP)

41. Jill Hall (ALP)

42. Tanya Plibersek (ALP)

43. Stephen Jones (ALP)

44. Nick Champion (ALP)

45. Malcolm Turnbull (Liberal

46. Kelly O’Dwyer (Liberal)

47. Laurie Fergusan (ALP)

48. Rob Mitchell (ALP – Ahead in the count)

49. Steve McMahon (ALP – Ahead in the count)

50. Cathy McGowan

 (Independent – Ahead in the count)