The Australian Labor Party has voted to amend its policy platform in support of marriage equality. 

And so the ALP’s National Conference has finally arrived. This weekend, Australia’s oldest political party will thrash out its National Platform and finalise its positions on contentious issues such as selling uranium to India, asylum-seeker policy and, of course, same-sex marriage.

Incumbent Labor Party President, Jenny McAllister, has over the weekend flagged support for marriage equality as “a very significant issue” for the future of the ALP, while Queensland’s Acting Labor Premier Andrew Fraser has suggested that he will introduce a private members bill to allow for civil unions.

MELBOURNE: Marriage equality lobby group Equal Love is holding a ‘speak out’ as its final Melbourne gathering before travelling to Sydney to rally at the ALP national conference in December.

ADELAIDE: Recent comments from SA Premier Mike Rann declaring his support for equal marriage rights have been welcomed by the LGBTI community.

I'll start this column by saying I don't know Mike Rann. I've never met him, personally or professionally, mainly because apart from announcing some 11 or 12 years ago that the ALP party platform included recognising same-sex couples as de factos, he's kept his mouth pretty well shut on LGBTI issues.

The Victorian branch of the ALP passed a motion in support of same-sex marriage on October 8, which means even more pressure will now come to bear on the Gillard Government to accept same-sex marriage as its National Platform. Out of all states and territories, only NSW has not passed a similar motion.

MELBOURNE: The last week has seen significant changes in the push for marriage equality, with the Victorian branch of the Labor Party succeeded in passing a motion endorsing same-sex marriage as part of the ALP's National Platform.

The campaign for marriage equality intensified last week with more than 60 activists descending on Canberra to lobby politicians amid increasing talks of conscience vote on gay marriage. Serkan Ozturk reports.

The Victorian Labor Party has reaffirmed its backing for marriage equality after passing a motion of support at its state conference today, and is now calling on the ALP to change its national policy on same-sex marriage.

While delivering a major speech at Old Parliament House today, embattled Prime Minister Julia Gillard seemingly signalled a softening of her views on marriage equality, suggesting that she would welcome “surprises” and “change” at the upcoming ALP National Conference.