Today is a big day in Parliament as several MPs continue their quest for marriage equality.

A Bill by Labor’s Stephen Jones, and a similar one by the Greens’ Adam Bandt along with Independent MP Andrew Wilkie are being introduced today.

If passed, they would allow same-sex couples to marry here in Australia and also recognise foreign same-sex marriages.

But either Bill needs cross-party support to pass into law, as not all Labor MP’s approve of changing the Marriage Act.

So a report at the weekend suggesting that Coalition backbenchers may well be allowed a conscience vote on marriage equality is a real breakthrough.

According to The Australian, “Senior Liberals said Tony Abbott had privately conceded some Liberals wanted to vote for marriage equality. ‘He seems to be quite relaxed at backbenchers exercising their will if they so choose,’ one said.

“The sources said that backbenchers who voted for marriage equality would be seen as having exercised a right traditionally granted to Liberal MPs, rather than having crossed the floor and defied their leader.”

Alex Greenwich of the Australian Marriage Equality lobby group has renewed hope following the weekend’s revelation and welcomes the two marriage equality Bills today.

“We now have a very large number of Coalition backbenchers to work with as we seek to build a parliamentary majority for equality,” he says.

“Up until today it seemed like the Coalition would vote as a block against marriage equality but now the Coalition’s principle of individual freedom has prevailed thanks to the advocacy of people inside and outside the Coalition.”

Greenwich explains that by allowing a conscience vote among his backbencher MPs, opposition leader Tony Abbott is not breaking his election commitment to oppose marriage equality.

“Party policy opposing marriage equality will remain unchanged, but now backbenchers with strong feelings either way will be able to express that.”

Continuous polling indicates that over 60 percent of Australians support giving same-sex couples the right to marry.