An indication of Labor’s concern that in the same-sex marriage vote, the ‘No’s’ were concentrated in mainly migrant-populated suburbs, was Bill Shorten’s anxious letter to Maronite Bishop Antoine Tarabay revealed in The Weekend Australian.

“I can assure you that Labor understands your concerns and takes them most seriously… and in the event that Labor forms the next government, I can guarantee that I will continue to be available to work through any concerns that you may have in relation to religious freedoms in Australia”, ran the opposition leader’s missive.