Asked about the prospect of a free vote the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, did not rule it out:
Nobody had any doubt that [the plebiscite] was our policy.
I am not going to follow Bill Shorten down his highly political road in trying to subvert a straightforward democratic process.
We say we have a mandate on it and we are asking the Senate to do their job and support it.
The bill is before the parliament and the parliament has to do its work.
It is all very well to say the Senate will not vote for it. We respect the Senate. The bill is not even in the Senate yet … I am confident that it will pass the house. Then it will come to the Senate and the Senate has to deal with a bill. So that is the focus.
The Australian Marriage Equality co-chair Alex Greenwich:
We now have the opportunity this week to finally put the debate about the plebiscite behind us and now move on to the important discussion about how we are going to legislate for marriage equality, without the need of a plebiscite, this year.
Once the plebiscite is finally dead … We can move forward to a legislative and parliamentary process which we hope can begin next week, and can begin through a multi-partisan approach.
We take comfort from the words of the former prime minister, Tony Abbott, that last parliament was the last parliament to be bound on this issue.
[A free vote] is possible, it has not been ruled out and we’ll be calling on the government and working with them towards that end.
The longtime marriage equality advocate Rodney Croome:
Labor is helping to avert what would have been a disaster for the LGBTI community and for Australian society.
Not only is there a plan B, it is already taking shape with Liberal backbenchers talking privately about revisiting a free vote and with various supporters of marriage equality talking about a cross-party bill in the Senate.
I am confident we will see marriage equality sooner rather than later.
The Labor leader, Bill Shorten:
The easiest way is the way which this parliament has done for a hundred years: legislate it, debate it. I’m not asking every National, [and] Liberal party member to vote for marriage equality, but I’m asking them to allow to have a vote on marriage equality.
That is the quickest, cheapest, least harmful and most certain path. And of course, we will be pressing our case in days and weeks to come.
The plebiscite is a bad idea, and us stopping a bad idea is a good thing. I think in terms of marriage equality, we do not understand why the government is so keen to stop there being a vote in parliament and a free vote on marriage equality.
The attorney general, George Brandis:
This morning the Labor party has driven a stake through the heart of marriage equality.
Rather than working with the government to see this matter settled, Bill Shorten and Labor have chosen to play politics with the lives of gay people. Their cynical decision this morning will ensure this debate will continue for years to come.
The National MP Andrew Broad told Guardian Australia he would withdraw support for the government if there was a parliamentary vote on marriage without a plebiscite:
We must honour our election commitments. The choice between the Coalition and Labor was clear in the election campaign. We promised a plebiscite, Labor promised a conscience vote.
Liberal MP and marriage equality advocate, Warren Entsch:
The plebiscite certainly wasn’t my preferred way of doing things, but I came to the view that it would be the most practical way of getting an outcome and there’s no reason why we couldn’t be civil and respectful of different views.
Today’s decision could see this process delayed for an extended period of time; I’m very critical of Bill Shorten and others who have changed their position on a plebiscite.
Entsch said if the plebiscite bill is voted down he will step back from the issue to put more of his political focus into other areas. “I can’t do any more,” he said.
The Greens leader, Richard Di Natale:
Let’s be clear. Marriage equality isn’t doomed. Tony Abbott’s divisive plebiscite is doomed. All three leaders of the main political parties support marriage equality, so let’s get this done.
With cross-party legislation, we could get this done by Valentine’s Day without the emotional and financial price tag of the plebiscite.
That’s why today we have written to the leaders of every party in the parliament including prime minister Turnbull and Mr Shorten to discuss a pathway to achieve marriage equality in the 45th parliament.
The Australian Christian Lobby’s managing director, Lyle Shelton:
During the 2013 election campaign Shorten told an ACL candidates’ forum that he supported a plebiscite.
The Coalition went to the last election promising a people’s vote and won the election.
It would be a breach of trust by government members to allow any other pathway for change.
It’s such an issue of importance – it’s the biggest social issue of our time and affects everyone – so whether it is in this term of parliament or the next it must be decided by a plebiscite.
