04:46

Senator James Paterson has given up on his much maligned bill for same-sex marriage, conceding there was more support for the one drafted by Dean Smith.

Paterson’s rival conservative marriage bill would have overridden already existing anti-discrimination laws to allow “religious freedoms” of refusing service to same-sex marriages.

Paterson said he was pleased with the result (he voted yes), and the parliament must now quickly pass legislation.

“The parliament must now quickly pass a bill to legalise same-sex marriage. It is clear the majority of senators believe my colleague Senator Dean Smith’s bill is where we should start,” he said.

“I will now work constructively with my parliamentary colleagues over the coming weeks on amendments to ensure that the strongest possible protections for the freedoms of all Australians are enshrined in the final legislation.”

Of course, there can now be amendments to the Smith bill, and each of the measures in the Paterson bill can be put up and considered one by one. But in the legislative fight, that’s round one for Liberal moderates.