A Liberal backbencher believes Australia should follow Ireland and have a referendum on gay marriage, but he does not support it himself.



Ireland has become the first country in the world to approve gay marriage by popular vote.



“If you are going to make such a fundamental change it should go to a referendum. I think there is a reasonable argument for that,” Senator Zed Seselja told the ABC on Sunday.

Both sides of the Australian marriage equality debate are vowing to step up their efforts following Ireland’s historic “Yes” vote.



Marriage Equality Australia says the result in the traditionally conservative Catholic country will remove any doubt marriage equality can be achieved in Australia.



But the Australian Christian Lobby has vowed to campaign harder against same-sex marriage in the wake of the result.



does not define marriage as being between a man and a woman, but there is uncertainty over whether any legislation extending marriage rights could be open to legal challenge in the Supreme Court.

A referendum was held in Ireland because the government believed that an amendment was required to the country’s constitution. In Australia, an equivalent change could be achieved through legislation, but that hasn’t stopped other MPs and Senators backing a referendum.

Independent senator for Tasmania Jacqui Lambie also backs a referendum without supporting gay marriage..



“We have an elderly population here in Australia ... I don’t think you are going to get the same result that has just happened in Ireland,” she told Sky News.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon says a referendum here would be a “circuit breaker”.



“I think the best approach is that there be a conscience vote in the parliament ... after all it has been an election issue,” the South Australian senator told Sky News.



The Greens deputy leader, Scott Ludlam, hopes the Irish result moves the issue along in Australia. He says several bills have just fallen short of there being a parliamentary vote over the past seven years.

“There were reports last week that we may by four votes short in the House of Representatives and we might be able to carry a majority in the Senate,” Ludlam told Sky News.



Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm is preparing a bill for a conscience vote among politicians and believes it now has a greater chance of being supported.



“The traditional argument is equality ... my argument is it’s not the government’s business what gender person you are allowed to marry,” he told Sky News.



Coalition frontbencher Bruce Billson believes there shouldn’t be a single word used to cover all kinds of relationships, especially if it’s one that people feel strongly about, like marriage.



He suggests formally recognising “committed life partnerships” to allow same-sex couples to attest their commitment to life-long partners before family and friends.



“Polarising the discussion is unhelpful and completely ignores what should be the quality of the relationship and the opportunity for people to love who they love,” he told ABC TV.

• This article was amended on 27 May 2015. An earlier version said a referendum was required in Ireland because marriage was defined in the country’s constitution as being between a man and a woman. In fact the constitution did not make that definition.