23:55

Labor, the Greens, the Nick Xenophon Team and senator Derryn Hinch announced on Tuesday they will combine to refer the government’s exposure draft for changes to the Marriage Act to legalise same-sex marriage to a Senate select committee.

The draft was released by attorney general George Brandis before the plebiscite bill was voted down and the government has not introduced it to the lower house.



It’s time for us to have a look together as a parliament about what the community is prepared to accept and what we as parliamentarians prepared to look at to find a way forward,” Labor senator Louise Pratt explained.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale, Hinch and NXT’s Skye Kakoschke-Moore all stressed the committee process was a way to keep the issue of marriage equality on the agenda.

Labor and the Greens have both expressed concerns with the exposure draft, particularly about exemptions for civil celebrants and religious organisations (rather than just ministers of religion) to refuse gay weddings.

Asked whether the inquiry might expose the differences between what the Coalition and others will accept rather than heal the rift, Pratt said she would not prejudge the outcome of the inquiry but hoped it would “take the heat out of the issue” to find an acceptable bill.



Labor’s equality spokeswoman Terri Butler stressed the committee would have four government and four non-government members, and was therefore “built for consensus”.