The Greens are pleased to be a part of this cross-party marriage bill along with Senator Dean Smith, who proposed a draft of this bill some months ago, members of the Liberal and Labor parties and crossbench senators from the Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party and the Nick Xenophon Team.

“We’re on the brink of an historic reform, so it is wonderful to have cross-party support,” said Senator Rice. “We don’t want to pre-empt tomorrow’s survey result, but we want to make marriage equality a reality at the earliest opportunity, so we’re getting ready now.”

The Australian Greens say that the update from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing that 57.5% of votes have been returned in the marriage equality postal survey is heartening, but they will not take anything for granted and will continue campaigning for a ‘yes’ win.

“It’s a good sign that so many ballots have been returned – it just goes to show that Australians care deeply about this issue, despite this process being forced on us when there was a much easier and less harmful way,” said Senator Janet Rice, Greens LGBTIQ spokesperson.

The Senate has supported a motion calling on the Government to encourage the public to reach out to LGBTIQ people and enquire about their wellbeing for R U OK? Day.

“We are being told by mental health experts that the LGBTIQ community will experience negative mental health impacts during the marriage equality survey, so it is more important than ever to ask R U OK?”, Australian Greens spokesperson on Mental Health Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

Australian Greens Senator and LGBTIQ spokesperson, Janet Rice, has joined Australian Marriage Equality in a challenge to the validity of the postal plebiscite in the High Court.

"I’m pleased that the movement for equality has put forward strong legal challenges, and I’m honoured to be a part of these. The postal plebiscite would subvert the will of the Parliament after the Senate again rejected legislation for a plebiscite. LGBTIQ Australians and their families will be hurt by this expensive, divisive, non-compulsory, non-binding postal plebiscite,’ said Senator Rice.

A Greens motion has succeeded in the Senate which forces the production of documents regarding the postal plebiscite. This order compels the government to divulge the details and legal advice relied on in making their decision to proceed with postal plebiscite.

The Senate motion has decreed that these documents be produced by 11:50am tomorrow, Thursday 10 August 2017.

‘This order will start to peel back the veneer of the government’s shonky, illegitimate and ludicrous plebi-survey,’ said Senator Janet Rice, Greens LGBTIQ spokesperson.

Australian Greens LGBTIQ spokesperson Senator Janet Rice has lodged a notice of motion in the Senate requesting documents that lay out the advice the government has used to arrive at the postal plebiscite plan.

“Like many Australians today, we have many questions about the Government’s ludicrous postal plebiscite. The public deserves to know more about just how the government has cooked up this hair-brained idea,” said Senator Rice.

The Australian Greens are urging the federal government to assist universities in implementing the recommendations from the Australian Human Rights Commission’s report on sexual assault and harassment on university campuses.

The report shows LGBTIQ students experience much higher rates of assault and harassment, with 45% of trans and gender diverse students, 44% bisexual students and 38% gay/lesbian students sexually harassed on campus in 2016. Trans and gender diverse students were more likely to experience harassment than any other group.

Senator Janet Rice, Greens LGBTIQ spokesperson, has slammed Margaret Court’s most recent comments about marriage equality and trans young people, and called on Malcolm Turnbull to stand up to bigotry once and for all.