 In October 2013, the bill was re-introduced into the upper house and was defeated once more.Registered partnership recognition in state governments

Same-sex and opposite-sex "de facto" couples exist in all states and territories.Before the introduction of same-sex marriage nationally, the inability of "de facto" couples to have conclusive evidence of their relationships in Western Australia and the Northern Territory made it more difficult for them to access rights accorded to them under the law.