Why is it so hard to just say Yes?

In a solemn address at the defeat of the 1999 Republican referendum, Malcolm Turnbull lamented that history would remember John Howard, who campaigned relentlessly against abandoning the monarchy, as "the prime minister who broke this nation's heart".

We all got behind that "Yes" campaign out of a shared conviction and commitment to an Australian republic. To allow Australia to have its own head of state and stand equal with other nations.

Today we are faced with a similar campaign for equality, for recognition and to stand globally as a modern, progressive nation that supports marriage equality.