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Prime Minister Tony Abbott's sister, Christine Forster, says the Liberal Party needs to decide whether or not to have a free vote on same-sex marriage by the end of 2015, to prevent the issue from becoming a "political football," during the federal election.
In the wake of Ireland historic vote to legalise same-sex marriage on the weekend, Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham has also said Liberal MPs would discuss a free vote at an "appropriate time" this year.
Ms Forster, a Liberal Sydney City Councillor and vocal supporter of gay marriage, hailed Ireland's emphatic vote as "fantastic," adding that with Britain, New Zealand and many US states also allowing same-sex marriage, Australians were starting to realise that they lagged behind the rest of the world.
"This is an issue that needs to be dealt with [during] the term of this Parliament," she told Fairfax Media on Monday.
Ms Forster, who in engaged to her partner Virginia Edwards, explained there needed to be a trigger to bring on a debate about same-sex marriage in the Liberal Party room - and whether or not MPs should get a free vote.
While debate could be triggered by a particular bill, Ms Forster's personal preference is that the issue was simply raised by an MP during a regular meeting.
"I'd like to see us control our own destiny on it," she said.
Ms Forster said that after talking to her federal colleagues, she was "really optimistic" the Liberal Party would back a free vote.
"Then it's game on," she said.
If Liberal MPs were allowed a free vote, it is estimated that the lower house is just three votes shy of a majority on same-sex marriage. In the Senate, there is an estimated majority of one.
Ms Forster said she wanted same-sex marriage dealt with by the Parliament this year, because it was "too important" to become a "political football". She said there was an increased risk of that happening in an election year, which is expected to be 2016.
Senator Birmingham agreed that he did not think the Liberal Party should discuss the free vote matter in an election year.
He told ABC Radio National it should be raised "at some point this year" when it was "appropriate".
"I'm sure that at the right time when there's a window during the course of this year, it will be raised, it will be debated."
On Sunday, Mr Abbott left open the idea of a party room discussion on same-sex marriage and a free vote.
"If it comes before our Parliament again, our party room will deal with it. Our party room will decide whether our existing policy continues or not, and then we'll have a good debate," he said.
He described same-sex marriage as "obviously a serious issue, a very serious issue".
Mr Abbott also told reporters that he was "probably the last holdout for the traditional position [on marriage] in the Abbott family.
Ms Forster said that her brother was "just acknowledging that reality of the situation" - that those who opposed same-sex marriage were "slipping into the minority".
A poll last year found that 72 per cent of Australians surveyed supported same-sex marriage.
