Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe has criticised the Turnbull governments plan to hold a plebiscite on the issue of marriage equality.

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Appearing on The Morning Show alongside partner Ryan Channing, Thorpe said the government’s decision was disappointing.

“We don’t have the right to get married which is quite apparent at this stage…

“I find what’s going on in this marriage equality debate – it is disappointing,” Thorpe said.

On Tuesday Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the government would have a second stab at getting its failed plebiscite policy though the senate, and declared if the move was unsuccessful he would deploy a non-compulsory, non-binding postal vote administered by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

With his political opponents opposed to the plebiscite declaring they will still block the legislation, the postal options seems to almost be a certainty.

Marriage equality advocates however have vowed to challenged the legality of the plan in the High Court, arguing that the use of $122 million dollars of public funds without parliamentary oversight is unconstitutional.

Ian Thorpe said it was clear that the government was simply using a stalling tactic.

“The plebiscite, the postal plebiscite or whatever it is is just a stalling tactic that the government will use because they don’t want to to their job on this,” he said.

“It will have to come to a vote in the parliament and we are waiting for that to happen.”