Australians will be "shocked" if Prime Minister Tony Abbott fails to grant Liberal MPs a conscience vote on same-sex marriage, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says, while conceding the issue has to be handled in a bipartisan fashion.
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In comments designed to head off criticism from Liberal MPs that his decision to bring forward a private members bill to Parliament on Monday was a political manouvre, Mr Shorten said Labor sincerely hoped the matter is bipartisan because "it is the only way it can succeed. Tony Abbott's right in that but the only way that it can succeed is if Tony Abbott allows a free vote. That is the question which is before the Parliament."
On Wednesday, Mr Abbott set out the conditions for a conscience vote in the Liberal party room on same sex marriage, clearing the way for a parliamentary vote as early as August as long as the issue was elevated above party politics.
"If our Parliament were to make a big decision on a matter such as this, I want it to be owned by the Parliament, and not by any particular party," Mr Abbott said.
Senior Liberal MPs have told Fairfax Media it is almost inconceivable that the Prime Minister will not, eventually, grant a conscience vote, while also criticising Mr Shorten's political tactics to bring forward the vote. They concede the issue needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
Mr Shorten's sponsored private member's bill is unlikley to succeed but a cross-party approach, led by a government backbench MP who supports the social reform and backed by a Labor MP, would be more likely to progress to a vote.
On Thursday, Mr Shorten said that "Australians will be shocked if the Liberal Party doesn't support a free vote".
"I believe the matter should be bipartisan, it shouldn't be a Liberal issue or a Labor issue but if Labor hadn't put it on the agenda, if I and Tanya hadn't proposed this bill on amending the Marriage Act to support marriage equality, do any of you seriously think we'd be talking about this today?"
"The time has come for Tony Abbott to allow a free vote for members of the Liberal Party and the National Party."
Mr Abbott is personally opposed to broadening the Marriage Act but has acknowledged momentum for change within the community, and within his own party, which means a vote is likely to occur at some point.
Mr Shorten stopped short of saying he would withdraw his proposed law if a similar bill were brought forward.
He also made clear that his bill would not "ask priests or particular religions, if they objected to it, to have to solemnise same-sex marriage in their own churches.
At least 60 of the 80 Labor MPs in the upper and lower house are expected to vote for the bill.
Australian Marriage Equality figures show Parliament is on the brink of having enough support to legislate same-sex marriage, needing just four more votes to pass a bill in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, it is calculated a bill could pass with a majority of one.
