Labor, Greens Unite in Australia

The Labor Party and the Greens have formed an alliance in Australia that could bring progress for marriage equality, provided Labor is able to form a minority government.

The alliance comes in response to an inconclusive election that left Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott deadlocked. The alliance with Labor means that Green MP Adam Brandt, a marriage equality advocate, would have the ability to push for favored legislation, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“Under the Greens-Labor agreement, Mr. Bandt will support a Gillard minority government in return for a range of concessions, such as the two-and-a-half hours of allocated debate for private members' bills,” reported the ABC.

The support from Bandt gives Labor 73 seats in parliament to match the 73 held by Abbott’s Liberal-National coalition. Bandt acknowledged that he would not always see eye to eye with Labor, especially on marriage equality, which Prime Minister Gillard does not support.