The matter of marriage will be on the minds of many Australian politicians in the wake of Ireland's groundbreaking, overwhelmingly popular vote to legalise same-sex unions.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Labor leader Bill Shorten have both ruled out holding a similar referendum in Australia, saying the issue is one for federal parliament to deal with.
"It's up to members of parliament who are eager for change to decide whether they want to bring it forward," Mr Abbott told reporters in Brisbane.
The referendum was needed in Ireland because marriage was defined as between a man and a woman in the country's constitution, unlike in Australia.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who has a bill to legalise same-sex marriage before parliament, wants to get a vote held by the end of the year.
Supporters of the change are pressuring Mr Abbott to allow coalition MPs a free vote on the issue.
Mr Shorten said the prime minister's stance effectively ruled out marriage equality.
"Why is Tony Abbott stopping Australia becoming a more modern nation and why won't he trust his own members of his own team to exercise a conscience vote?" the opposition leader told reporters in Ballarat.
Labor lets its politicians exercise their conscience on the matter at present, although deputy leader Tanya Plibersek wants to get the party's national conference in July to institute a binding vote in favour.
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