Julia Gillard assured the advocates her Labour Party would debate the issue of gay marriage at its annual conference in December.

Well, it took about a year to organise but marriage activists met with Prime Minister Julia Gillard for the first time. Gillard assured the advocates her Labor Party would debate the issue at its annual conference in December.

Rodney Croome from the Australian Marriage Equality told reporters, “She doesn’t believe that there should be a deal stitched up beforehand to avoid a vote. In December, she wants to see the ALP national conference debate this in a fully-fledged manner – and that’s something we want, too.”

Croome also mentioned the importance of marriage equality as a way of promoting inclusion and participation in family life and told the Prime Minister she has a historic opportunity to make Australia a more just and equitable nation.

Also in attendance were Former Australian Medical Association president Kerryn Phelps and her wife, Jackie Stricker Phelps. Phelps said the issue will be front and centre at the conference and applauded Gillard for at least meeting with them.

The gay advocates also criticised the anti-gay marriage rally, which was held at Parliament House last week. Dr Phelps labelled it “one of the greatest misuses of Parliament House facilities” she’d ever seen.

Labor MP Jill Hall has already told ABC Television that support is at 80 per cent in her NSW electorate of Shortland.