Australia does not have to subject itself to an ugly, divisive campaign over same-sex marriage for the sole purpose of fulfilling an election promise made by a prime minister who is well aware of the dangers it poses.

Australia does not have to spend another day debating whether two loving adults should be allowed the simple legislative right of marriage that is afforded without thought to the majority of citizens.

Australia does not have to – but likely will.

One of the case studies supporting the case for same-sex marriage is from the Central West. It is about Ms Alison Gerard and Ms Sophie Meredith. Bathurst should be proud of what their tale of acceptance tells about the city’s community.

But plans to force Australians to a plebiscite to decide whether Ms Gerard and Ms Meredith – and so many others – should be allowed to marry can only do more harm than good.

The first shots have already been fired with the Australian Christian Lobby seeking earlier this year to have the federal government override anti-discrimination laws during a plebiscite campaign.

That’s a clear indication of how the “no” vote sees the campaign developing and should be enough to deter politicians from putting the gay community – and the broader community – through such a debate.

But Malcolm Turnbull has allowed himself to become cornered by the conservatives in his own party and is being forced to push ahead with an expensive, divisive plebiscite that will carry no legal standing, despite the latest promises from the government it will act on the outcome.

Instead, the issue could be decided within weeks by a free vote on the floor of parliament and it could finally be put behind us.

That could still happen, but only if legislation for the plebiscite fails to pass both houses of parliament and Mr Turnbull finally stands up to the conservatives he is supposed to lead.

His election should have been a victory for supporters of same-sex marriage, but that’s not how it has panned out.

Future Australians will marvel at our generation’s ability to make such a sorry mess of what should be a simple change to a single act of parliament.

We have been on the wrong side of history on this issue for too long now.