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.

There was a conscience vote on the issue last September which was defeated by 98 votes to 42 after conservative leader Tony Abbott refused to allow opposition MPs to break with party lines, rendering it a null prospect.

Both Gillard and Rudd voted no in the September ballot but Rudd, a Christian, has since changed his position and challenged Abbott to a second vote where conservatives would be freed from party doctrine.

Labour has amended scores of national laws to remove discrimination against same-sex couples but has so far refused to allow them full marriage rights.