But the government says Labor is undermining the process, refusing to state what changes to the enabling legislation it may be prepared to accept for it to pass the Senate.
Federal Attorney-General George Brandis and Special Minister of State Scott Ryan met opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus and Labor frontbencher Terri Butler to discuss the government's proposal for a plebiscite on same-sex marriage in February next year.
Both sides said they were prepared to negotiate but each side accuses the other of offering nothing in the meeting.
Senator Brandis says while the government is seeking common ground with Labor, the opposition wouldn't offer any suggestions on what changes might secure its support for the enabling legislation in the Senate.
"I asked Mr Dreyfus and Ms Butler what their position was on numerous occasions - by my count, on some nine occasions. I said to them 'What do you want?' And I assured them that any proposal they made would be considered seriously by the government, would be considered in good faith, and I would take to the Cabinet for consideration. I am disappointed that on every occasion when I asked Mr Dreyfus and Ms Butler to state what the Labor Party's position was they refused to do so."
Mark Dreyfus says the Coalition is setting marriage equality up to fail by pushing for the plebiscite, and Labor has repeatedly stated it would prefer a direct vote in the parliament to change the Marriage Act.
Labor is yet to articulate its formal position, and is expected to do so after a caucus meeting when parliament resumes next month.
Mr Dreyfus says the government offered no convincing reasons in the meeting on why the plebiscite should go ahead.
And he said it didn't appear willing to concede any ground.
"What the Attorney-General could have done was to indicate what the Liberal government is prepared to offer, what changes this government is prepared to make, what changes Mr Turnbull is prepared to endorse - which would have required an indication of what their party room is prepared to agree to. Instead we got nothing."
The question of what - and if - amendments may actually be acceptable to the Coalition remains, after News Corp published comments from deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce suggesting the Nationals would not support changes to the existing plebiscite conditions.
He's one in a number of government MPs, including Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz, who disagree with Labor's view that public money shouldn't be given to campaigns for either side of the argument.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten says the government is sending mixed messages.
"It's a very unusual style for the Turnbull government to say they want to compromise and yet we have the deputy prime minister, we have Senator Abetz out there ruling out items of negotiations even before the negotiations have started. Mr Turnbull cannot control the right wing of his party. He's outsourced decision-making on this marriage equality plebiscite to the right wing of his party."
The Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull would not address Senator Joyce's comments, but reiterated the view that Labor will determine whether same-sex marriage becomes a reality in Australia.
"If Labor supports the plebiscite, it will be held on February 11. I believe it will be carried. I'll certainly be voting 'yes'. I believe it will be carried. All the polls indicate that. And if that's the case, it will be legislated by the parliament almost immediately thereafter, within weeks. So, it's very close and the only obstacle to that is achieving support in the Senate."
The Attorney-General George Brandis has suggested Australians may have to wait until the 2020s for same-sex marriage to be legalised if this plebiscite doesn't go ahead.
Senator Brandis and Mark Dreyfus have both said they're willing to meet again to discuss the government's proposal.
Share
