refusal of the Senate to support the legislation to establish a plebiscite, the government conducted a voluntary postal survey on the matter from September to November 2017. The survey returned 61.6% 'Yes' vote in favour of same-sex marriage. The government subsequently committed to facilitating the passage of a private member's bill to amend the Act, and legalise same-sex marriage, by the end of 2017. The bill in question, the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017, was introduced by Liberal Party Senator Dean Smith on 15 November 2017. The bill amends the definition of "marriage" in the Act, omitting the words "man and a woman" and replacing it with the gender-neutral "2 people". The bill passed the Senate by 43 votes to 12 on 29 November 2017 and passed the House of Representatives on 7 December 2017, with only four votes against. It was given royal assent by the governor-general, Sir Peter Cosgrove, on 8 December 2017. The Act had the effect of amending the definition of marriage in Section 5 of the Marriage Act: marriage means the union of 2 people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life. It also repealed Section 88EA, which banned the recognition of overseas same-sex marriages. Consequently, when the Act went into effect on 9 December 2017, such couples became automatically recognised as married under the law. The original Act and the amendment also applies to Australia's external territories. Legacy In October 2013, same-sex marriage was legalised in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The ACT legislation was overturned by the High Court for being inconsistent with the Marriage Act. This was due to the definition of the term "marriage" in the Marriage Act, which at that time excluded all types of marriage other than that between one man and one woman. See also Celebrant (Australia) Marriage Act Marriage in Australia Same-sex marriage in Australia References External sources Marriage Act 1961 on Austlii Proposal to Reform the Civil Marriage Celebrants Programme Discussion Paper on Civil Celebrants Programme (October 1997) Bills Digest on the Marriage Amendment Act 2002 Recognition of Foreign Marriages Acts of the Parliament of Australia Public policy in Australia Australia 1961 in Australian law Marriage law