As Liberal Party MPs push for a free vote on same-sex marriage small businesses are also backing marriage equality, according to research released on Tuesday.
The Sensis Business Index Survey conducted in September 2016 found 63 per cent support marriage equality, an increase from 55 per cent in 2015.
![Peter Wallace is backing marriage equality.](/web/20170207114445im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/6/j/f/y/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu4xb9.png/1486420840414.jpg)
Peter Wallace, owner of graphic design business Kudos Studios, says the government should introduce a bill into parliament allowing marriage equality with a conscience vote.
"I think it's an issue that should have been sorted out years ago we have far better things to worry about at this current time," he says. "It's such a simple thing to sort out."
![Marriage equality is back on the political agenda.](/web/20170207114445im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/0/8/w/l/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu4xb9.png/1486420840414.jpg)
Kudos Studios employs 10 staff and turns over about $1.5 million a year.
"We are a graphic design business so we have a lot of artistic people and a lot of people with different views and relationships and we are more than happy for them to be given the same rights as anyone else," Wallace says.
The same-sex marriage plebiscite was blocked in Parliament last year but Liberal Party MPs who support same-sex marriage will push to abandon the government's plebiscite policy over the next fortnight in favour of a free vote on the floor of Parliament.
The Liberal Party MPs' stance reflects the views of the majority of the 1000 small and medium businesses surveyed with 87 per cent believing Federal Parliament passing marriage equality laws would have either a positive impact on their business or no impact at all.
![Sensis chief executive John Allan says diversity is critically important to the prosperity of our nation.](/web/20170207114445im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/c/3/q/q/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu4xb9.png/1486420840414.jpg)
Only 2 per cent say it would have a negative impact.
Of the business leaders surveyed, the results were even stronger when asked about their own views with more than two thirds (67 per cent) saying they personally supported marriage equality.
Sensis chief executive John Allan says: "Much has been spoken about large corporates and organisations supporting marriage equality, the evidence is now in that small and medium businesses – the back bone of the Australian economy – also support this important initiative.
"Diversity is critically important to the prosperity of our nation and distracting issues such as marriage equality only serves to draw people away from what they believe is truly important, building a future for themselves, their employees and their families."
It's such a simple thing to sort out.
Peter Wallace
The survey also found more than six in 10 (61 per cent) small and medium businesses believe they have a diverse workforce.
While the majority (96 per cent) of business owners or managers spoke English as a first language, nearly six in 10 (59 per cent) say they have a multicultural workforce.
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