Many couples suffer from pre-wedding jitters but Annette Cairnduff and Kylie Gwynne have a different reason to be nervous.

They are getting hitched on the eve of a High Court ruling on the ACT’s same-sex marriage laws that may limit their marital bliss to less than 24 hours.

Ms Cairnduff and her partner of 11 years will wed in a Canberra garden on Wednesday afternoon.

The court’s decision, due to be handed down at midday (AEDT) on Thursday, won’t change the Sydney couple’s committed relationship.

“We’ve been packing dishwashers, organising children off to school for a really long time,” she said.

Ahead of their wedding the couple joined a trio of senators who have taken a pledge to work together to help achieve marriage equality.

Liberal Sue Boyce, Labor’s Louise Pratt and Sarah Hanson-Young from the Greens have formed a cross-party working group on the issue.

Senator Boyce is retiring from politics in July next year and hopes that a conscience vote on the issue is held before she leaves.

The coalition party room had yet to consider granting its members a conscience vote, she said.

Senator Pratt, who has a transgender partner, wants to give people hope that there are parliamentarians committed to pushing for national marriage equality laws.

Senator Hanson-Young said it was important politicians worked together.

“No one party can deliver the numbers to make this happen,” she said.

Author: Lisa Martin
Publication: Herald Sun News
Date: 11 December 2013
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