Labor’s Joel Fitzgibbon has announced that he will vote in favour of marriage equality when a bill makes it to the the floor of parliament.

The member for Hunter had previously voted against marriage equality becasue he felt his ellectorate was not yet ready, but the former Agriculture and Defence Minister is now a marriage equality supporter.

Mr Fitzgibbon has said today that the Prime Ministers need to think hard about his actions.

“The Prime Minister now has a real problem,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

“The rest of the world is moving and it’s clear the majority of people both in the House of Representatives and probably the Senate now support the change here in Australia.

“He’s holding it back by holding them to a party vote and I think that’s undemocratic, frankly.”

Mr Fitzgibbon said with so many western countries now voting to allow marriage equality Australia appeared to be practically standing alone.