17, 2015, introduced a same-sex marriage bill in the lower chamber of the Australian Parliament.

Some ministers say the vote should be a referendum to change the definition of marriage in the constitution – which would be more likely to fail than a plebiscite.

“This bill is designed to promote an inclusive Australia, not a divided one”, said Entsch.

“We live in a modern society where women and Indigenous people have equal right to vote, mixed-race marriages are acceptable and being gay is not something to be ashamed of”.

An historic, cross-party bill to legalise same sex marriage in Australia is expected to be defeated after prime minister Tony Abbott’s ruling coalition blocked its MPs from having a free vote.

A survey conducted by the Sydney-based market research firm Ipsos, published in Fairfax Media newspaper on Monday, showed that 69 percent of Australians favored marriage equality, a 12-point increase since the end of 2011.

He has said instead, the matter should be “put to the people” in a non-binding plebiscite after the next general election, due in 2016.

He went further, declaring “we should get rid of” royal commissions altogether (“Tell all the people who have suffered childhood sexual abuse”, Di Natale said).

“There’s a process that needs to be gone through in relation to private member’s bills and the government’s made its position clear and that is we don’t want to deal with this bill now”, he told Australia’s Channel Nine.

However the prime minister drew criticism from the opposition as well as the Coalition MP who is set to introduce the bill, both labeling Abbott’s calls to wait until after the next election as stalling measures.

“I think we should be doing it sooner rather than later”, Mr Entsch said.

Just 25 percent of Australians now oppose same-sex marriage.

“Tony Abbott is now being described as someone from the Dark Ages for believing what humanity has believed for thousands of years, ” O’Neill said.

“This is an expensive and unnecessary delaying tactic for something we know the Australian people want”, Ms Plibersek said.

The definition of marriage and the manner in which same sex unions are recognised are very important issues and they deserve to be considered calmly and thoughtfully. Abbott at the time implored his colleagues to give him six more months to improve the government’s popularity.

Among those who showed their support on Monday was Leader of the House, South Australian frontbencher Christopher Pyne, who has publicly backed a plebiscite and privately taken Mr Abbott to task for “branch stacking” a partyroom meeting on marriage with conservative Nationals.