Australians will head to the polls in February 2017 to vote on whether they want same-sex marriage legalized.

 

澳大利亚将于2017年2月投票决定同性恋婚姻是否合法。

 

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is expected to inform members of the Liberal National Party (LNP) of the new timeline for the vote at a party meeting in September, News Limited reported on Sunday.

 

A February plebiscite on the issue would break Turnbull's election promise that the Australian people would vote on the issue in 2016.

 

A spokesperson for Turnbull said that a recommendation from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) warned against holding the vote in 2016.

 

"The government has always said that a decision on same-sex marriage will be made by a vote of all Australians in a national plebiscite to be held as soon as practicable," the spokesperson told Fairfax Media on Sunday.

 

"That commitment has not changed. Late last week, the AEC provided advice to the Special Minister of State that strongly recommended against the conduct of a plebiscite this calendar year."