Reinstated Rudd puts gay marriage on election agenda

Newly-reinstated Australian leader Kevin Rudd put gay marriage on the election agenda, calling for a bipartisan conscience ballot on the issue and raising the possibility of putting it to a direct public vote.

Rudd, who took back power in a dramatic party -room coup from Julia Gillard who deposed him three years ago, said lawmakers from all parties ought to be allowed a conscience vote — where MPs vote on personal conviction rather than party lines — on the issue.

His ruling Labour party formally changed its position on the issue in Dec 2011 to pro-gay marriage but Rudd and his predecessor Gillard have both historically been against the reform.