Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was not prepared to back a free vote in Parliament. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "It's always been a fundamental principle in the Liberal Party and indeed, the National Party. "So it's a very different political culture to the very authoritarian Labor Party." Mr Turnbull did not repeat his usual statements that a plebiscite must be held before any vote in Parliament, although government sources say this remains his position. A Liberal MP who supports same-sex marriage said he was "sure" his colleagues would interpret Mr Turnbull's comments as permission to cross the floor.

Victorian Liberal MP Tim Wilson is one of several Liberal MPs pushing for a free vote on same-sex marriage. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The legalisation of same-sex marriage without a plebiscite is seen as a potential threat to Mr Turnbull's leadership because of the fury it would likely unleash among Liberal conservatives. The issue could flare up as early as next week when Parliament resumes after a long winter break. "We do not support a bill relating to gay marriage being brought on until there was a vote of the Australian people," Mr Turnbull said last month. "We will not support a vote in the Parliament until there has been a plebiscite." The first preference among moderate Liberal MPs is to use a private member's bill drafted by WA senator Dean Smith as a trigger for the party room to allow a conscience vote on the issue.

If this fails, three MPs could bring on a vote in the House of Representatives by crossing the floor in support of a Labor motion to suspend standing orders. Mr Wilson, who is gay, said he wanted to see same-sex marriage dealt with soon. "When you look at my party I think it's in our best interests to move on from this issue so we can focus on the things that I think people voted for me and for my party to deal with: tax reform, fixing the budget, national security, making sure that we stop terrorism," he told Sky News on Monday. "I am going to talk to my parliamentary colleagues, to my community, as well as to my party members over the next few weeks and talk to them directly about the challenge we face, and let's be frank, the personal tensions I have on this issue. "I always said politely that the plebiscite wasn't my first preference for a way to deal with this issue."

Mr Wilson said he and his colleagues had "discharged" his responsibility to the plebiscite by supporting the legislation to enact it last year. Mr Evans, who was elected the Member for Brisbane at last year's federal election, told Fairfax Radio: "I hope we can do this quickly in a business-like fashion so we can refocus on other priorities. "Lots of people are speaking up and saying, 'We need a new way forward'." Mr Evans said the election promise to hold a plebiscite was no longer tenable. "Our policy wasn't a stalemate," he said. "The point of the plebiscite was to deal with the issue by February.