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Reaction as Australia says 'yes' to gay marriage

More than 60 percent of eligible Australians voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage after more than a decade of political battles over the issue. Here are some of the reactions to the result announced Wednesday. "They (Australians) have spoken in their millions and they have voted overwhelmingly yes for marriage equality. They voted yes for fairness, yes for commitment, yes for love." - Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, saying he would push to pass legislation by Christmas "This is outstanding for a voluntary survey and well above other voluntary surveys conducted around the world. It shows how important this issue is to many Australians." - David Kalisch, head of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which conducted the survey "I was so proud of Ireland in May 2015 when they became the first nation in the world to vote for marriage equality. I was so proud of my country of birth. "But today I am even more proud of Australia, the country of my selection." - Irish-born Qantas chief Alan Joyce, who is openly gay "In a democracy, just because you win it doesn't mean you... bulldoze forward," said Senator Eric Abetz, a prominent "no" campaigner. "Keep in mind there are 4.8 million of our fellow Australians that actually voted no... Do we say they should no longer be heard?" - Senator Eric Abetz, prominent "no" campaigner "We will now do what we can to guard against restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of religion, to defend parents' rights, and to protect Australian kids from being exposed to radical LGBTIQ sex and gender education in the classrooms." - Coalition for Marriage's Lyle Shelton, prominent "no" campaigner