Gay marriage, asylum seekers to be top priorities of Greens in Australian Parliament

New Greens Member of Parliament (MP) Adam Bandt on Thursday nominated same-sex marriage, and better treatment of asylum seekers as his first priorities when he enters Australia's Parliament.

Labor Party on Wednesday formed an alliance with the Greens, that means the Greens' MPs will have the ability to introduce private members' bills and have them debated and voted on.

Greens MPs would also be able to have their policies costed by a budgetary office of Parliament.

Bandt said if Labor is able to form a minority government, he will introduce legislation on same-sex marriage and asylum seekers first.

"One is it's important to me to remove the discrimination against same-sex couples from marrying," he told ABC News 24.

"I don't think it has any place in a modern democracy, and I think every opinion poll says that people are in favor of allowing people to marry who they choose.

"Second thing that's important to me is ending mandatory detention and offshore processing of asylum seekers, and we've now got the capacity to move that through Parliament."

With Bandt's support, Labor has 73 seats alongside the Coalition's 73.

Source: Xinhua