Amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act which would ensure the rights of Australians in the wedding service industry are protected has been rejected, 36 to 3.

The amendments, moved by Liberal Democrats Senator David Leyonhjelm, were designed to “allow providers of goods, services and facilities in connection with the solemnisation of marriage to refuse to do so on the ground of sexual orientation or relationship status of their would be clients”

According to a statement from Senator Leyonhjelm, “This would provide an exemption from discrimination law not only for marriage celebrants but also for wedding planners, reception venue operators, florists and cake suppliers.”

“It will also assist those who wish to specialise in same sex marriage only, and it will assist those who wish to service heterosexual marriages only, regardless of the reasons or beliefs upon which those wishes are based,” the Senator Leyonhjelm said.

Following the vote, Liberal Democrats tweeted, “Conservatives never wanted same sex marriage without religious freedoms. Yet when Senator Leyonhjelm moved an amendment to amend the Sex Discrimination Act to protect those freedoms, the [Liberals] are missing in action. Does the government even know what it wants?”

The three Senators who voted in favour of the amendments were David Leyonhjelm, Fraser Anning and Cory Bernardi.