The Turnbull government’s same-sex marriage plebiscite is dead and buried, after it was defeated in the Senate late on Monday night.

The legislation to approve the plebiscite was voted down with 29 Senators for and 33 against. The bill had passed the House of Representatives in late October.

Labor, the Greens, the Nick Xenophon Team and independent Senator Derryn Hinch opposed the plebiscite.

The plebiscite was to be held on February 11 and would have asked Australians: “Do you support a change in the law to allow same-sex couples to marry?”

It was to cost taxpayers around $200 million and some of that funding was to be allocated to the “yes” and “no” campaigns.

Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek tweeted after the vote: “Mr Turnbull’s wasteful, divisive plebiscite has been defeated tonight in the Senate. Let’s make marriage equality law with a free vote in parliament”.

During the debate earlier on Monday, Labor Senator Penny Wong told the Senate that Labor could not support the plebiscite because “we did not want our families and our children publicly denigrated”.

She said that those opposed to same-sex marriage “will stoop to any argument to prevent change”.

Ms Wong and Coalition Senator Mathias Cormann cross paths during Monday’s debate. Photo: AAP

“We do not trust this prime minister and this government to stand up for us, our children and for our community.

“Because we have seen their silence when their own backbench speak. Because we know their weakness in the face of prejudice.”

Attorney-General George Brandis warned if the plebscite didn’t go ahead that “the cause of marriage equality will be delayed for years”.

Special Minister of State Scott Ryan, who supports marriage equality, said arguments a plebiscite would subject gay couples to hurtful comments was foolish. There may be a small number of individuals who behave inappropriately during the debate, but that’s true for any contentious debate, he said.

“Anyone who thinks that stopping a plebiscite means stopping discourteous speech is fooling themselves,” he told parliament.

BREAKING: Senate votes no on #MarriageEquality #plebiscite. The path to equality is clear — together we can win a parliamentary vote! pic.twitter.com/osHTR6ySu0

— AU Marriage Equality (@AMEquality) November 7, 2016

Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm said gay marriage could remain a highly partisan issue for years to come if the plebiscite doesn’t go ahead.

Anyone claiming the plebiscite should be scrapped because of the potential for hurtful comments needed to “harden up”, he said.

The plebiscite was adopted as Coalition policy in August 2015 under former-Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

One of the most controversial Turnbull government policies is no more. Photo: Getty

After a marathon party room meeting – which Mr Abbott controversially opened up to the National Party – the Coalition voted in favour of a plebiscite as its same-sex marriage policy.

The snap meeting was triggered by Coalition MP Warren Entsch who raised the issue of same-sex marriage in an earlier Liberal Party meeting.

The Attorney-General George Brandis had warned that a defeat would result in delaying same sex marriage in Australia for years to come.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull supported the plebiscite before the July election and after, even though he once favoured a free parliamentary vote on the issue.

But the Federal Opposition says the plebiscite would have resulted in harmful debate against the gay and lesbian community and want a direct vote in Parliament, instead.

– with ABC and AAP