Polygamy and under-age marriage could be next: Pauline Hanson

One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson speaks during the Same Sex Marriage debate in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra. Photo / AAP

Pauline Hanson says she believes polygamy and underage marriage could be among the unintended consequences of legalising same-sex marriage.

Despite raising concerns, the One Nation leader said she is still unsure whether she will support the bill on same-sex marriage before the Senate and will give her party colleagues a free vote on the issue.

"My concern is that, in time to come, the Parliament and its members could at any time change this [definition] to include multiple marriages or marriages of people under a certain age," Hanson told Parliament yesterday.

Hanson will move an amendment to the bill to protect civil celebrants who want the right to refuse to marry gay couples.

"I don't believe we are fully aware of the ramifications this is going to have on our society," she said.

She believes there should have been a referendum to define the meaning of marriage in the constitution, rather than the voluntary postal survey that returned a 61.6 per cent "yes" vote.

Hanson used the 1967 referendum over recognising indigenous Australians as an example of a change which had created unintended consequences such as "reverse racism".

"We have now made laws that give Aboriginals more rights than other Australians," Hanson said.

"They are treated totally different under the law.

"People did not vote for that, hence my concerns about this plebiscite," she said.

Hanson also took aim at the "disgraceful" Safe Schools programme, which she said was "messing around with the minds of young children".

NSW One Nation senator Brian Burston said he would have voted "no" in the survey, but never received a form.

"I was one of those Australians robbed and denied the opportunity of expressing my democratic right," Burston said.