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Acting Labor leader Tanya Plibersek's push to make Labor MPs vote for same-sex marriage has sent shockwaves through the party, with at least one MP promising to cross the floor if they had to support the reform and others pledging to fight the binding vote proposal.
Labor frontbencher Joel Fitzgibbon, who voted against same-sex marriage when it came before Parliament in 2012, declared he would not support changing the ALP's platform at the July national conference.
Mr Fitzgibbon stressed that his current personal position was "unresolved", but added: "I will stand and fight for the right of every member of the caucus to vote in the manner they see fit, whatever their position on the substantive issue."
One MP, frustrated by what they saw as a distraction from issues like cost of living, said they would have to cross the floor if they were forced to support same-sex marriage. Fairfax Media was also told that Ms Plibersek's announcement had created a "a lot of unhappy" MPs, with some having to face electorates that wanted to keep the traditional definition of marriage.
But other high profile Labor MPs and members backed Ms Plibersek, with ALP presidential candidate Louise Pratt arguing the party should not be "held to ransom by fringe elements in the Labor Party".
Labor frontbencher Stephen Jones, who brought a same-sex marriage bill before Parliament in 2012, said that if religious organisations were not forced to marry same-sex couples, "I fail to see how this is an issue of conscience".
"Labor has to be unambiguously on the right side of the issue."
Ms Plibersek was also joined by senior Labor left MPs Mark Butler and Penny Wong in backing a binding vote, as well as current ALP President Jenny McAllister and presidential candidate, Victorian state MP Jane Garrett.
Union officials were split on the proposal. United Voice national secretary David O'Byrne said same-sex marriage was an issue of "human rights" and it should not have a "caveat" or "asterisk".
But conservative Catholic Joe de Bruyn described the potential binding vote as "foolish". The national president of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association said that every ALP member knew that same-sex marriage was an issue "on which there are deeply held views".
"Why would you create this sort of conflict when you don't need to?"
Mr de Bruyn said Ms Plibersek, who holds inner-city seat of Sydney, was just "playing up" to her electorate.
Labor leader Bill Shorten is travelling overseas for Anzac Day, but has previously said he supports same-sex marriage but not a binding vote. It is understood this is because he does not want to force MPs to vote against deeply held beliefs.
Ms Plibersek also attracted criticism within government circles on Monday.
Liberal Senator Dean Smith lashed Ms Plibersek's move, arguing it had "wrecked" progress on the issue within his own party.
Senator Smith, who is openly gay and has recently come out in support of same-sex marriage, said he felt "personally disappointed" by the decision.
"If the ALP was to adopt a binding vote on same-sex marriage, then the issue of a conscience vote in the Liberal Party is dead," he said.
With Matthew Knott and Fergus Hunter
