Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus is playing down a potential deal on a national same-sex marriage vote, leaving the issue in the coalition's court.
It's up to Attorney-General George Brandis to explain how the government will win over Labor with changes to a plebiscite, he says.
Despite earlier hinting a deal could be in sight and reeling off a wishlist, Mr Dreyfus firmed up his stance on Friday afternoon.
"At the moment, it does not appear to me that the right wing of the Liberal Party is prepared to compromise on anything," he told reporters in Melbourne.
The pair will meet in Brisbane on Monday, as the coalition attempts to break a political deadlock on a national vote.
Mr Dreyfus doesn't characterise the meeting as an attempt to reach a compromise.
However, he earlier listed changes that could make the plebiscite more palatable for the opposition, a different tune to that of Labor leader Bill Shorten who stuck to his fierce opposition on Friday.
Among them were scrapping $15 million in public funding for the "yes" and "no" campaigns and making the vote automatically trigger a new law should the nation vote yes.
But Mr Dreyfus later clarified he "in no sense" knew what Senator Brandis was going to say at the requested meeting.
"I'm not going into this meeting with a list of conditions," he said.
The clarification came after Mr Shorten said the only compromise he was considering was the prime minister allowing MPs a free vote on same-sex marriage legislation in parliament.
Labor caucus is yet to formally decide its position on a plebiscite but Mr Shorten is expected to recommend its opposition.
"The whole Labor team have grave reservations about the shocking waste of money that this plebiscite is (and) the unnecessary division it causes in our community," Mr Shorten told reporters in Sydney on Friday.
"Let's be clear: we haven't heard so far any good argument to support this plebiscite and I'm still waiting for the first one."
Mr Dreyfus earlier tried to convince the Freedom for Faith conference in Melbourne the fear of same-sex marriage encroaching on religious freedom was unfounded.
"The two are not related," he told delegates.
"It is not right for us to deny equal rights to another person because they do not match with what our idea of love should be.
"'Love thy neighbour' does not come with conditions."
He used libertarian senator David Leyonhjelm's support for same-sex marriage to prove it would not be an encroachment of the state on religious belief systems.
The world and organised religion would not end when same-sex marriage became reality, as it had not in the United States, Ireland or New Zealand, he said.
"Marriage equality will happen in Australia," Mr Dreyfus said.
"It is not a question of if, but when and how."
Share
