Immigration Minister Peter Dutton - who last week lambasted corporate leaders for publicly supporting marriage equality - has been working behind the scenes to help Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull find a path to legalise same-sex marriage in this term of Parliament.

Mr Dutton, one of the government's leading conservatives, told colleagues following the defeat of the plebiscite in the Senate last year that the issue would be an ongoing distraction unless it was dealt with before the next election.

Fairfax Media can also reveal he said privately it was inevitable that same-sex marriage would become law in Australia so it would be better for the Coalition, rather than Labor, to control the process. This would ensure there would be maximum protections for religious freedom in any legislation.

The forcefulness of Mr Dutton's attack on corporate chief executives last week - in which he told them to "stick to their knitting" - has aroused suspicion among some colleagues who believed he was committed to achieving a breakthrough on the issue. Mr Dutton's actions are increasingly viewed through a leadership prism given he has been touted as a potential replacement for Mr Turnbull if the polls don't improve.