The Greens have failed to win support in the Senate for their call to end discrimination in marriage laws.
The minor party on Wednesday hijacked Senate business in an attempt to bring on a debate about legalising same-sex marriage following a coalition party room decision to deny its MPs a free vote on the issue.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale accused Prime Minister Tony Abbott of stacking the party room with Nationals MPs, most of whom oppose same-sex marriage, because he knew he was "going to be rolled" on the issue by Liberals.
Greens colleague Janet Rice, who is legally married to a transgender woman, said Australia was lagging behind the world in recognising the issue as discrimination.
"I feel that I'm in a very special place," she told the Senate, noting she was part of a small number of same-sex marriages legally recognised in Australia.
"I want other Australian couples to be able to share that right, to be able to declare their love."
But Labor responded by accusing the Greens of staging an irresponsible stunt, pointing out multiple other opportunities for the minor party to voice its views.
Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate Claire Moore warned the Greens weren't the only ones with strong views on same-sex marriage.
"Let's not divert so you can get a cheap headline," she said.
Cabinet minister Mathias Cormann said the government did not accept there was discrimination in the Marriage Act.
He said coalition MPs took part in a "good, respectful and constructive" discussion in the party room.
"We do understand that there are a diversity of views across the community on same-sex marriage," he said.
Nationals senator Matt Canavan believes his party should celebrate that diversity and accused the Greens of trying to squash differing views.
"In fact they're the pillars of uniformity," he told the Senate.
"They don't really respect different views and if you don't share their view, you're evil."
Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm said same-sex marriage was not about equality but rather getting the government out of Australian bedrooms.
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