An Australian proposal to hold a national referendum on legalising same-sex marriage has been defeated in the nation’s senate. Despite a preference for such a vote on the issue by the government of Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull, opposition parties and supporters of same-sex marriage have argued that a referendum would be ‘deeply divisive’ and the issue of gay marriage should be decided by parliament alone. The defeat of the proposal means same-sex marriage is now set aside as a topic for the next parliamentary term.