After a long joint party room meeting on Tuesday, the Coalition decided not to allow its members a conscious vote on same-sex marriage, opting instead for binding support for the status quo.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said after the next election, party members would not be expected to follow party line on gay marriage, and opened the door to a plebiscite or referendum, saying it should be the decision of the Australian people.
Here's what key MPs have said about that decision:
"Given that same-sex marriage is something which is only very recently come into our intellectual and cultural parameters, given that it's really only this generation that has ever thought of this, why not give to it the people?"
- Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
"We hear some of the arguments used last night ... one leading conservative right wing Liberal MP said that `Dolce and Gabbana never got married'. They are people who are genuinely stuck in the past."
- Opposition Leader Bill Shorten
"If the Australian people want marriage equality they are going to have to divorce Tony Abbott at the next election."
"We could all wake up on the morning after such a vote, knowing full well that the country has spoken."
- Liberal MP Brett Whiteley on a plebiscite.
"If the Australian people want marriage equality they are going to have to divorce Tony Abbott at the next election."
- Labor frontbencher Jason Clare.
"The prime minister demonstrated great leadership yesterday."
- Cabinet minister Mathias Cormann.
"We've decided in the course of this parliament to cut ... education and health funding, why won't Mr Abbott take those decisions to a plebiscite. We make important decisions in this parliament every day."
- Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek.
"It's important this boil be lanced," - Cabinet minister Barnaby Joyce on a plebiscite.
"I have to concede however that given (Tuesday's) decision, the likelihood of failure - should it come to a vote - is assured."
- Liberal MP Warren Entsch on a cross-party bill he plans to introduce to parliament next week.
The motivation of those arguing for a plebiscite is clear because they are the same people who have done everything in their power, played every trick in the book to avoid a free vote in this parliament."
- Labor frontbencher Penny Wong.
"The coalition will find itself on high ground here, Australians deserve a say on moral issues."
"This is democracy in action. This is what wise and considered heads think through."
- National MP Andrew Broad.
"The prime minister has sided with a vocal homophobic minority over the loving majority."
- Greens MP Adam Bandt.
"The coalition will find itself on high ground here, Australians deserve a say on moral issues."
- Liberal MP Andrew Laming.
"Tony Abbott is not a man for the times and his time is almost up."
- Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese.
And outside politics:
"It is vital that mainstream Australians use the opportunity the coalition party room has given to speak up before it is too late." - Australian Christian Lobby spokesman Lyle Shelton.
"You can't stop love and if this parliament fails to achieve marriage equality we will make sure the next one will."
- Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Rodney Croome.
