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MARRIAGE equality advocates have cautiously welcomed a breakthrough in Canberra today after aÌýLiberal party room meeting reportedly saw the issue of a conscience vote raised, leading to the announcement of a special joint Coalition party room meeting to decide on it.

The morning meetingÌýwas meantÌýto focus on the Liberal Party’s climate change policy, but reportedly defied Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s wishes byÌýinitiating discussion onÌýwhether Liberal MPs should be a allowed a conscience vote on marriage equality bills.

°Ú²õ³ó´Ç·É²¹»å²õÌý²¹»å=²Ñ¸é·¡°ä±Õ,Ìýthere was no decision on whether to allow theÌýfree vote, butÌýthere wouldÌýbeÌýfurther debate at a later date.

Shortly after atÌýa press conference, Abbott —Ìýwho opposes marriage equality —ÌýsaidÌýit would be in a Coalition party room meeting with their Nationals counterparts at 3.15pm today that the government wouldÌýreconvene specifically to discuss marriage equality.

“I’ve long had a position on this, and my position hasn’t changed so let’s see what the party room comes up with,” Abbott said.

There is speculation theÌýconscienceÌývote debate would fail in this afternoon’s meeting. Nonetheless,ÌýAustralian Marriage Equality (AME) has urged government MPs to adoptÌýaÌýfree voteÌýrather than pursue aÌýplebiscite, as someÌýLiberal MPs have suggested in the past months, becauseÌýthe latter would further delay reform and —Ìýregardless of the result —Ìýthe matter still requires to be voted on by parliament.

Entsch said notice wouldÌýbe given later today for aÌýcross-party marriage equalityÌýbill and it would thenÌýbe introduced in the House of Representatives next Monday, pending approval from the parliament’s selection committee.

The news comes after months of intensified media coverage and pressure from advocates for the Coalition to adopt a conscienceÌývote on marriage equality.

Abbott has repeatedly said the government had other reforms to focus on and that marriage equality was not a priority, which advocates saw as attempts to delay the issue despite polls consistently showing most Australians now support it.

AME saidÌýthe proposed introduction of Entsch’s marriage equality bill next Monday —Ìýco-sponsored by fellow LiberalÌýMP Teresa Gambaro, along with Labor MPs Laurie Ferguson and Terri Butler as well as cross-benchÌýMPs Andrew Wilkie, Cathy McGowan and the Greens’ Adam Bandt — wouldÌýbe a historic moment.

“I applaud Warren Entsch for continuing to move marriage equality forward despite resistance from parts of the Liberal Party,” AME national director Rodney Croome told the Star Observer.

“I’m hopeful the Liberal Party will allow a free vote once the bill is introduced.

“A free vote is consistent with the foundational Liberal Party principle of individual freedom and it would be untenable for Warren Entsch and Teresa Gambaro to have co-sponsored a bill they cannot vote for.”

Ìýalso reported that the will continue to be debated in Parliament’s Federation ChamberÌýtonight.

There are two otherÌýmarriage equality billsÌýdoing the rounds in Parliament House — one from the Greens and one from NSW Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm.

With dissenting voices on both sides of parliament, a conscience vote for Coalition MPs — which Labor has already granted to its members — is considered essential for marriage equality to get across the line.ÌýThe Greens have said they will vote in favour of marriage equality.

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Editor’s note: this story was updated at 2.26pm, August 11.