NSW Labor leader Luke Foley has come out in support of marriage equality in Australia.

In 2010, he supported civil unions as the best approach for promoting equal rights for the LGBT community. Two years later, Foley stated that he would “never devalue the worth of homosexual relationships” but that he believed “homosexual relationships are different to a married relationship”. Since then, Foley has admitted to rethinking his position.

“What the advocates for legislating for same sex marriage tell me is that they don’t see what they call a separate-but-equal regime of civil unions as being fully equal”, Mr Foley says. Should a bill return to NSW Parliament, Mr Foley promises to “treat it on its merits”.

Some have approached Mr Foley’s revelation warily, suggesting that it may be a defensive maneuver against pushes from the Greens towards marriage equality in light of the upcoming state election in NSW. Whatever the case, this will certainly bring the issue to the forefront of discussion during the impending election campaign.

OiP Staff