Shorten sorry for dragging feet on same-sex marriage

Australian Opposition Leader Bill Shorten during House of Representatives Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Photo / AAP

Labor leader Bill Shorten has asked gay and lesbian Australians to forgive politicians for years of disappointment and delays on the issue of same-sex marriage.

He told Parliament yesterday that a vote was "long overdue" as lower house MPs began debating a private bill passed in the Senate last week.

"It is a chance to atone for the inaction and failures of the past," Shorten said.

"Today belongs to all the LGBTIQ Australians who have borne the burden of a long battle for equality. We seek your forgiveness, we salute your courage and we thank you for including us in your historic moment."

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said it was time to legalise same-sex marriage after a long and arduous road "littered with injustices".

Nearly 80 MPs are slated to speak on the legislation over coming days, with a final vote expected before Thursday, when Parliament is scheduled to rise for the year.

Gay Liberal MP Tim Wilson, a longtime same-sex marriage advocate, proposed to his partner from the floor of federal Parliament, asking: "Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" was the response from Ryan Bolger, sitting in the gallery.

A nonbinding postal survey launched in September found that 62 per cent of respondents wanted gay marriage to be legal. Almost 80 per cent of registered voters took part in the two-month survey.