Democratic Labor Party senator John Madigan wants to outlaw gay marriage by enshrining in the constitution that marriage is between ''one man and one woman . . . to the exclusion of all others''.
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A social conservative, Senator Madigan, will introduce a bill on Thursday to call for a national referendum to alter the constitution in such a way.
''I'm saying let the people decide,'' Senator Madigan told the senate on Thursday morning.
''We can't legislate the conscience of the nation.''
Senator Madigan told the senate that marriage was a ''cornerstone of human society pre-dating any religious or political system''.
''If we can have referendums on things like local government . . . we deserve to have a referendum on officially defining this institution in our constitution.''
After Senator Madigan finished speaking, his view was condemned by senators on both sides of politics.
Liberal senator Sue Boyce said she was ''appalled'' at the notion of the constitution being changed to enshrine marriage as between a man and a woman.
She suggested such an idea was wrong in the 21st century when people have moved beyond thinking that gender is binary and that sexuality is a lifestyle choice.
Labor senator, Penny Wong, a lesbian, said she disagreed with the right of people such as Senator Madigan to impose their definition of marriage ''upon me and upon others in my situation . . . who wish to demonstrate through ceremony their love and commitment to their partner''.
She said the issue had never been whether or not people have different opinions, but ''whether the secular state should impose a particular set of opinions in order to exclude some Australians''.
