By Patrick Hatch
Gay marriage advocates have lashed former prime minister Julia Gillard for coming out in support of its legalisation two years after losing the power to do anything about it.
Ms Gillard voted against a bill for marriage equality in 2012 as prime minister, but told an audience in Melbourne on Wednesday she had changed her view that both heterosexual and same-sex couples should embrace civil unions.
Julia Gillard says she has changed her mind and would now vote for same-sex marriage.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
"Given the 1970s feminist in me saw much to be concerned with from a gender perspective with traditional marriage, I thought the better approach was not to change the old but to create something new," she said during The Michael Kirby Lecture at Victoria University.
"In my time post-politics, as key countries have moved to embrace same-sex marriage, I have identified that my preferred reform direction was most assuredly not winning hearts and minds."
Ms Gillard said she assumed at the time the Coalition would have eventually allowed a conscience vote on the issue and marriage equality would have become law.
"My position would have been overtaken by history, something which would have caused me no heartburn," she said.
"Now, given the discussion of a plebiscite or a referendum, I find myself in a world where these assumptions have been upended."
Ms Gillard called for a conscience vote on the issue soon after the next election, and said she would vote in favour of same-sex marriage if she was still in parliament.
Ms Gillard new position sits in contrast with comments made during an Sky News interview in 2011 that "there are some important things from our past that need to continue to be part of our present and part of our future".
"For our culture, for our heritage, the Marriage Act and marriage being between a man and a woman has a special status," she said at the time.
The former prime minister's about-face was greeted with scorn and derision by many same-sex marriage supporters on social media, who said Ms Gillard could have brought about change while she was in power.
The former prime minister also poured scorn on the idea of holding a plebiscite or referendum on the issue, noting those measures were not required for previous changes to the marriage act.
"With no logic to support it, the only foundation stone for the idea... is an appeal to the all-too popular sentiment that politicians are inadequate," she said.
"Our nation… is not advantaged by anyone in the political class pleading their incapacity to be a decision maker."
Despite this, she said she would vote "yes" if a plebiscite or a referendum were held.