It could quite easily and quite legitimately have been put under the category of a conscience vote.
The Ulster Unionists allow for a conscience vote on moral issues.
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Parliamentarians were allowed a conscience vote, and, crucially, the reform had the backing of both the Prime Minister John Key and leader of the opposition David Shearer, the BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney reports.
The Liberal leader Tony Abbott, a former seminarian whose Catholicism is an important part of his political make-up, recently signalled a new openness to the idea of a conscience vote should he become prime minister.
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She criticised an increase in spending on the European Parliament's administrative costs, and told MEPs to "listen to their conscience" and vote against the budget.
Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) says he's simply told his fellow Republicans to vote their conscience.
You get to vote your vote of conscience, and I respect that right.
If not, then I am obliged to vote my conscience on this matter.
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Colin Barnett, the influential premier of Western Australian, remains opposed but thinks that MPs should be allowed to vote their conscience.
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In the 24 states that do not require electors to follow the popular vote, "it's also legitimate for them to vote their conscience, " he said.
Change isn't - well, we need a change, but I think maybe one seat wouldn't make the difference and I could therefore vote my conscience.
"We truly appreciate that there are some senators in particular that are working hard to be able to vote their conscience and their constituents' views, " she said.
Some of my very best friends sit on the other side of the aisle, and I would defend their right to vote their conscience with my life, if necessary.
Over time, he gained command of Senate procedures, won some friends among Republicans, but lost none of the stubbornness that made him vote his conscience, take risks and damn the consequences.
In this Parliament MPs have been much more rebellious and much more inclined to vote according to conscience, and plenty are more inclined to tell their whips how they are voting, rather than be told how they should vote.
It is a free vote - on conscience rather than on party lines - so it would be inaccurate to say they are voting against the government but internal divisions on the issue will make it difficult for the Tories to claim the credit for changing the law in the way the prime minister might hope.
And that is how I vote, with clear conscience and saddened heart.
Centrist Francois Bayrou, who took 9% of the first round vote, delivered a boost to Hollande's campaign Thursday when he said he would vote for the Socialist, and urged his supporters to vote according to their conscience.
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Of course, the crossbenchers are not a party and are not whipped - their vote is entirely a matter of individual conscience.
But look, I think it's important that parties establish their priorities, that they go out there and they defend, you know, their values, that they vote in a manner that reflects their conscience.
"The simplest of the resolutions is that all Sinn Fein members be allowed to articulate and vote on the issue of abortion according to their conscience and that's signed by five different groups, " he said.
Past governments have regarded the issue as a matter of conscience, one on which MPs and peers should have a free vote, and the Ministry of Justice said it would only comment on any proposed legislation when it was published.
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