The Senate will debate discrimination protections for LGBT teachers on Wednesday and Thursday after a motion moved jointly by Richard Di Natale and Penny Wong was accepted without a vote.

The tactic to force debate on the Greens private senator’s bill means the issue will be considered before the Wentworth byelection on Saturday, despite Scott Morrison refusing to give bipartisan support for ending religious exemptions to discrimination law for teachers and school staff.

The move will add pressure on Morrison, who already faces a divided party. The deputy Liberal leader, Josh Frydenberg, Wentworth candidate Dave Sharma and Liberal senator Dean Smith – the architect of the successful marriage equality legislation – have called to protect teachers.

Labor and crossbench senators including Derryn Hinch, Tim Storer and Centre Alliance support ending the exemptions for religious schools and the Greens corralled them to support a suspension of standing orders after question time on Wednesday.

Instead, a motion to debate the bill for one and a half hours on each of Wednesday and Thursday passed after question time with general agreement, and without the Coalition forcing the Senate to vote or to suspend standing orders.

No vote on the substance of the bill is expected this week, meaning the private senator’s bill cannot pass the Senate until the 12 November sitting week and then faces an uncertain future in the House of Representatives. Read more via Guardian