Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister of Australia, sought to allay Christians' concern by stating the Labor's position on marriage is defined as a union between a man and a woman after the media reported that senior parliamentarian members within the party were working on a 'secret plans' to allow civil union.
Talking to the Australian newspaper, Mr. Rudd reiterated the concise definition, as supported by Christians, of marriage and said it would form the cornerstone of his policy view on other areas.
"Our position has always been that marriage is between a man and a woman and therefore that always will form the cornerstone of our view on these matters," Mr Rudd said.
However, Mr. Rudd had also voiced an interest in developing a national relationship register for same-sex couples so the legal discrimination, such as inheritance, they faced could be removed.
Writing in the Canberra Times publication, Jim Wallace, the managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), said the Christian lobby group was not oppose to removing 'unreasonable' discrimination faced by same-sex couples, but they are oppose to any attempts to sanction a relationship between them which mimics a marriage.
Mr. Wallace emphasised the importance of a marriage by declaring that it was the bedrock of society and still was the best environment to raise children.
"Marriage is central to the fabric of our society. It is the foundation for family life and has been clearly shown to offer the best environment in which to bring up children. Surely we should be doing all we can to promote marriage in Australia, not allowing it to be diluted to serve the personal social engineering agenda of the Chief Minister," he wrote.
Currently, Mr. Rudd said the consultation process of the registry system would continue over the next 12 months.