Australian PM Unmoved on Marriage Equality

Even as the Australian House of Representatives prepares to vote on a motion designed to spark national conversation about marriage equality, Prime Minister Julia Gillard declined to say whether she would support a change in policy if her Labor party shifted its platform.

According to The Age, the motion backed by the Greens and supported by Labor, the party led by Gillard, calls on parliament members to consult their electorates for their views on marriage equality. It seemed likely to pass, but the prime minister refused to say whether she would endorse a change in Labor's platform.

"Asked if she would implement a change of policy if the national conference endorsed gay marriage she said 'everybody is getting way, way, way ahead of themselves,'" reported The Age.

"The platform is decided at the conference and the federal parliamentary Labor Party, led by me, makes decisions about how we will go about working on platform questions," said Gillard, who does not support a conscience vote on marriage equality at this time.

Meanwhile, the coalition plans to vote against the motion supported by the minority Labor government, citing the extreme left influence of the Greens.