“The government is playing a dangerous game by not acting now and pursuing the available pathway through parliament when the stakes are so high for thousands of vulnerable Australians. We have spent more than a decade raising this issue,with many reviews and attempts to change the law.”

The Australian Christian Lobby was also disappointed the Albanese government had abandoned the long-promised protections.

“The government’s commitment to this legislation was not the simple pre-election promise we all took it to be. Instead,it now appears it was shrouded in ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ that allow scope for the government to fail Australians of faith so dismally at this moment,” said the lobby’s chief executive,Michelle Pearse.

“It sends a very negative message indeed to a great number of Australian religious followers,and others who appreciate the need to improve Australia’s human rights protection where it is so obviously lacking.”

Progressive crossbenchers and the Greenshad urged Albanese to work with them to pass legislation. But the government refused,saying it would only move forward if it had Coalition support to avoid a messy public debate.

Independent MP Allegra Spender wrote to Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and shadow attorney-general Michaelia Cash urging them to resume negotiations.

“At the last election,Labor made a promise to both religious and LGBTIQ+ communities,recognising that years of public debates,which have caused undue harm,must come to an end,” she said.

“It is heartbreaking and unacceptable that these kinds of discriminations persist when there is a clear majority of support – both in parliament and the broader community – for change. Last month,the Anglican Church,Christian schools,the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils,and Equality Australia all came together to urge the parliament to move forward to reform.”

But Albanese said on Friday the time for securing bipartisan support had lapsed,which meant his government would not introduce the laws it had drafted.

“The last thing that Australia needs is any divisive debate relating to religion and people’s faith,” Albanese said.

“Agreement hasn’t been able to be reached because there’s been no suggestions from the Coalition of amendments of the legislation. So I don’t intend to engage in a partisan debate when it comes to religious discrimination,and I think that that is unfortunate.”

The Coalition had publicly called for Labor to incorporate the feedback of faith leaders.

Cash said on Tuesday it had been “one of the most bizarre processes I have seen in my time in parliament”.

“It is little wonder the prime minister withheld the legislation from his own caucus given the shocking potential impact on faith-based schools and the level of alarm expressed by faith leaders,” she said.

Greens LGBTIQA+ spokesperson Stephen Bates said his party had offered to work with Labor,and the majority of Australians wanted the government to fulfil its promise.

“When it comes to keeping progressive promises,it seems this Labor government is incapable of doing so without the sign-off of the LNP,” he said.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news,views and expert analysis.Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.