Liberal MPs have begun to discuss whether they should be allowed a free vote on same-sex marriage, a senior Liberal source has confirmed.
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Queensland MP and same-sex marriage advocate Warren Entsch raised the issue in a surprise move on Tuesday morning during the Liberal Party's regular sitting week meeting.
It is understood there was no resolution to the discussion, when MPs left the meeting late on Tuesday morning.
Liberals, however, are so far tight-lipped about the discussion. After the meeting, Leader of the House Christopher Pyne would not be drawn on the issue in an interview with Sky News.
If MPs are allowed to vote with their conscience it could open the way for same-sex marriage to pass Federal Parliament by the end of the year.
But a free vote is not assured, with a significant number of MPs worried that it will equal support for the reform.
Mr Enstch is expected to lodge notice of a cross-party bill to legalise same-sex marriage with the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
He is due to introduce the bill next Monday.
Estimates from marriage equality advocates have same-sex marriage less than a handful of votes shy of a majority in the House of Representatives, and with a slim majority in the Senate, if MPs were allowed to vote as they wanted.
Labor MPs have a free vote until 2019, when they will move to a binding vote in favour of same-sex marriage.
Before the 2013 election, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that the matter of a free vote would be a matter for the post-election party room.
More to come
