Tony Abbott privately told supporters two weeks ago that he would not allow Parliament a free vote on gay marriage, and was prepared to use "tricky processes" to get his way.

On Tuesday we saw the "tricky processes" he had in mind. The Prime Minister did not consult his cabinet. Nor did he consult his own party. He took the matter first to a joint meeting of the Liberals together with their coalition partner, the Nationals.

It was the equivalent of lawyers going "forum shopping" to get the most sympathetic court; the Nationals are a bastion of marriage traditionalists. Or, as Christopher Pyne reportedly said, it's like "branch stacking", bringing in outsiders to win control of a local political branch.