Julie Bishop finally reveals her stance on gay marriage: She has 'absolutely no concerns' about it... and thinks Australians should get to vote on it

• e-mail

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has publicly endorsed same sex marriage, stating that she has 'absolutely no concerns' about the hotly debated social issue.

To date, Ms Bishop - the deputy leader of the Liberal party - had declined to comment on the state of marriage equality in Australia, choosing to toe the party line instead of making her personal stance known.

However, the 59-year-old politician opened up during a candid interview on Channel Ten's The Project, advising that she has 'absolutely no concerns' with gay and lesbian couples having the right to wed or the Australian people voting on the issue via a plebiscite. 

Scroll down for video 

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has publicly endorsed same sex marriage, stating that she has 'absolutely no concerns' about the hotly debated social issue

'I have absolutely no concerns about it myself,' she said on Monday night. 'But I know there a lot of people who are deeply concerned about the issue.' 

'That's why I think a plebiscite, where the Australian people get to have a vote on it, on an issue as fundamental as this, that goes to the very composition of our community, the way we treat each other, how we feel about each other.' 

To date, Ms Bishop had declined to comment on the state of marriage equality in Australia, choosing to toe the party line instead of making her personal stance known

To date, Ms Bishop had declined to comment on the state of marriage equality in Australia, choosing to toe the party line instead of making her personal stance known.

But she opened up during a candid interview on Channel Ten's panel program The Project 

The foreign diplomat's statements align with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's promise to hold a national vote on legalising same-sex marriage after the next election.

Turnbull - who has long been a supporter of marriage equality -  has ignored pleas from the Labor party to resolve the issue in parliament. 

The Opposition have said a plebiscite would be an expensive exercise that would only provide a platform for those prejudiced against the LGBT community to publicly air their 'extreme' opinions. 

Turnbull - who has long been a supporter of marriage equality - has ignored pleas from the Labor party to resolve the issue in parliament