Wilkie & Ors v The Commonwealth of Australia & Ors; Australian Marriage Equality Ltd & Anor v Minister for Finance Mathias Cormann & Anor

The High Court of Australia considered two applications for special leave to appeal concerning the validity of the postal survey on same-sex marriage. The applicants in the first proceeding, Wilkie & Ors, sought to challenge the lawfulness of the survey, while the applicants in the second proceeding, Australian Marriage Equality Ltd & Anor, sought to challenge the lawfulness of the expenditure of public funds for the survey. The respondents were the Commonwealth of Australia and various ministers.

The central legal issue before the Court was whether the expenditure of public moneys by the Commonwealth for the purposes of conducting a voluntary postal survey on the question of same-sex marriage was authorised by law. This involved an examination of the constitutional powers of the Commonwealth, particularly the appropriation power under section 81 of the Constitution, and whether the survey constituted a valid exercise of that power.

The Court determined that the expenditure was not authorised by law. It reasoned that the appropriation power under section 81 of the Constitution is limited to expenditure for purposes that are "upon the朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕A朕朕朕朕朕A朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕A朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕A朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕A朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕A朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕A朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕A朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕朕