A plebiscite on same-sex marriage, and legislation to change the Marriage Act if the plebiscite is carried, will be held by the end of this year, the attorney general, George Brandis, has confirmed.

Brandis told Sky News on Sunday that details on how the $160m public vote will be held will be debated in the Coalition party room “early in the life of the next parliament, should the Coalition be re-elected”.

The plebiscite will be held shortly afterwards, and a parliamentary vote after that but still before the end of 2016, Brandis said.

However, a spokeswoman for the prime minister refused to back a solid timeframe for the public vote, saying the plebiscite would occur “as soon as possible after an election”. The timing of the election will determine the timing of the plebiscite.

The timeframe means that marriage equality could be a reality by the end of the year despite who wins the next election. The Labor party has pledged to introduce legislation, which would be subject to a free vote for its members, within 100 days of being elected.

In August, the Coalition party room debated allowing its members a free vote. The proposal was shot down, with the party choosing the plebiscite option instead.

Even if a plebiscite on removing restrictions in the Marriage Act that currently limit marriage to between a man and woman is passed with overwhelming public support, parliamentarians will still need to vote on the issue.

The Coalition has yet to decide if the results of the plebiscite would be binding on its members.

Brandis said it was reasonable for members who represent conservative electorates to vote in parliament according to the wishes of their constituents.

“I think it would be perfectly understandable why a member representing a conservative electorate and having conservative views themselves, might choose to vote no, and I don’t have a problem with that. But I would expect that there is little or virtually no doubt that if the public vote yes, the parliament will follow,” the attorney general said.

“I said in the party room when this issue was debated in August that I thought this was a conscience matter, and I haven’t changed my mind.”

Brandis also stated publicly for the first time that he supports same-sex marriage.



“This is a position I have come to over the years and after a lot of reflection,” he said.

Brandis said he supported the British prime minister, David Cameron’s, point of view that marriage is one of the fundamental building blocks of society and that conservatives must therefore promote it.

When asked if he believes the plebiscite will be carried, he said “yes I do”.



He stressed that any legislation on marriage equality would only change the civil definition of marriage, and offer protections for religious wedding celebrants who oppose it.

But the head of the Australian Christian Lobby, Lyle Shelton, tweeted to dismiss the protections, arguing that redefining marriage will affect a wide group of people.

Marriage redefined will affect more than just religious. Bakers, photographers, schools etc #Agenda https://t.co/vapZWShjxb — Lyle Shelton (@LyleShelton) March 5, 2016

Both Turnbull and the opposition leader, Bill Shorten, attended Saturday night’s Sydney Mardi Gras parade.



Turnbull, a supporter of marriage equality, has attended the pride parade before, as it is in his electorate of Wentworth. Shorten attended for the first time.

Turnbull disappointed many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex advocates by sticking with his predecessor Tony Abbott’s decision to hold a plebiscite rather than voting on the issue once and for all.



But Brandis dismissed suggestions of a conspiracy in the prime minister’s attendance of the Mardi Gras parade, saying it was “completely unremarkable”.

The leader of the Greens, Richard Di Natale, told ABC TV that legislation should be changed as soon as possible.

“[Turnbull has] got an opportunity to bring the parliament with him, a vote on marriage equality. We should have that done before the next election,” he said. “The fact is he is somebody who at least expresses views contrary to Tony Abbott’s, but he’s carrying on with Tony Abbott’s divisive plan for a plebiscite.”

Shorten thinks the plebiscite is a waste of money that will be potentially harmful to same-sex couples.

“Labor believes the best way to deal with marriage equality is just to let the parliament and parliamentarians do what they’re paid to do, take some decisions,” he told reporters on Sunday.

“We all know that the plebiscite – the $160 million taxpayer funded plebiscite – was an idea created by the opponents of marriage equality to kick the issue of marriage equality down the road.”