Parliament must own gay marriage laws: PM

Tony Abbott wants the whole parliament, not a single political party, to own any move to legalise same-sex marriage.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten intends introducing a private member's bill to parliament on Monday, which the prime minister says the coalition parties will consider if and when it comes to a vote.

"If our parliament were to make a big decision on a matter such as this, it ought to be owned by the parliament and not by any particular party," Mr Abbott told question time on Wednesday, adding that was an important point for Mr Shorten to ponder.