Imagine Tony Abbott's toast at his sister Christine Forster's wedding

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Gay marriage legalised in the ACT

A bill to legalise same-sex marriage has passed the Legislative Assembly in the ACT.

Tony Abbot's sister Christine Forster and her partner arrive on Election Day 2013 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney. Picture: Coppel Alex Source: News Limited

It might be from an ex-partner, or someone you were secretly in love with at school. Or a workmate who you secretly hate but who has guilted you into going. Maybe it's your creepy uncle and he's up to wife number four - who happens to be younger than your children.

Of course, you could also be the Prime Minister of Australia, and the wedding invite is from your sister. She's marrying her long-time partner, someone she's obviously in love with, and it should be a great knees-up for all involved.

Only thing is, she's gay. So she's not allowed to get married, under the law, made by the government you lead, in keeping with opinions you've made clear, repeatedly.

When the news leaked of Christine Forster and Virginia Edwards's engagement last week, the fact that they might be engaged for a long, long, long - possibly two or more terms of government long - time was hidden in all the camp happiness.

"Instead of bridesmaids, we're going to have drag queens!'' Edwards said - firmly dating the whole event somewhere in the mid-1990s. No mention was made of whether one of said bridesmaids would be Mr Abbott.

Also no mention of where it would be held, although with Canberra taking the title as first state or territory to legalise same-sex marriage yesterday, you'd have to put your money on the Capital.

But the couple might want to hop to it. As soon as the laws were passed, as social media went into a #celebratory #gaymarriage #rainbow #frenzy the shadow of a High Court challenge was passing over.

According to the feds, who it could be argued have more important things to worry about, marriage rights are the federal government's to deny, not the state government's to allow.

You almost feel sorry for the PM. Not only is he facing some awkward hers and hers gift decisions. Now he has to front up a High Court challenge to strike down the closest thing to legal marriage rights his sister has.

And then after doing so, he presumably has to rock up as a guest at her wedding and make small talk with the gays. Uncomfortable.

Of course, he could just change his mind - or evolve, as US president Barack Obama famously did, into a position much like that of most of mainstream, straight Australia: One of comfortable acceptance, bordering on vague disinterest.

At least he'd be able to make a decent best man's speech then.

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