Rudd's late conversion to gay marriage

You have to admire Rudd for the audacity of his conversion to the case of same-sex marriage. He and Labor so desperately want it to be the issue of the campaign - Rudd is looking to the future; Abbott is stuck in the past seeing it as just as a "fad". But  what makes Rudd's new-found support for gay and lesbian marriage so amazing was his approach to the issue in his first term as Prime Minister. He so desparately tried to stop it being a political issue.
In the lead-up to the 2007 election Rudd made a similar announcement about the right of same-sex couples: discrimination would be removed from Commonwealth laws by a future Labor Government. It was an attempt to paint the Howard Government as stuck in the past given it had baulked at removing discrimination from superannuation laws.
But Rudd's pledge came with a very clear proviso - it did not include removing the bar on same-sex wedlock from the Marriage Act. This was a key issue for Rudd and he gave a rock solid guarantee to the Australian Christian Lobby that under no circumstances would Labor legalise same-sex marriage. Not only did he see it as an important matter of principle as a Christian but it was seen as politically imperative to win the religious vote, particularly in Western Sydney marginal seats.
After the election, Jim Wallace and Lyle Sheldon of the ACL never let Rudd forget his promise. They were regularly up in Parliament House to badger Rudd and his ministers and remind them of the pledge.
But it caused real problems within Labor, particularly for members of the Left who had long campaigned on the issue. Within Labor's senior ranks there was a great deal of discomfort. Penny Wong and Anthony Albanese, who has the seat of Grayndler with a high number of GLBTI couples, were particularly exercised.
Then, soon after the Federal election, ACT chief minister Jon Stanhope brought the matter to a head by announcing he would allow same-sex civil unions in Canberra.
Rudd was apoplectic sending out his then deputy chief of staff Alistair Jordan to put the weights on Stanhope and his deputy Katie Gallagher to drop their plans. As reported at time they threatened to ask the Governor-General to over-ride the Territory if the law was passed.
The announcement of the legislation to remove discrimination from 86 commonwealth pieces of legislation provided the cover - "we'll look like we are taking practical action to removing discrimination against same-sex couples, while you're getting hung up on symbolism".
"If you do this my man's support will go from 55 to 65, and you'll drop ten points," Jordan reportedly told Stanhope.
Sheldon and Wallace were also in Rudd's ear egging him on.
Stanhope eventually backed down but the deep scars in Labor remained. At the Labor national conference later that year, the left pushed to change the party platform to recognise same-sex marriage. But with gay and lesbian campaigners holding a protest outside the Darling Harbour convention centre and Anthony Albanese and Louise Pratt pushing the issue strongly inside, Rudd went AWOL.
He refused to attend the conference until the issue was put to bed. There was no way he wanted to come into the conference and be confronted by protestors and journos while the issue was still alive.
Rudd through his staff wouldn't budge on the issue but the Left wanted to push it to a debate on the floor of the conference.
Over Saturday and into Sunday morning, factional meetings were held and huddles were held to try to find a compromise. Rudd was nowhere to be seen.
In the end, the Right faction led by Mark Arbib fell in behind Rudd and the Left had no option but to accept a highly watered down motion.
The irony that it was the Left that provided Rudd his biggest support base through people like Albo and Doug Cameron during this year's leadership battles has not been lost on many.  Perhaps a few debts are now being repaid by Rudd. But it is sad that it has taken nearly six years for Rudd to come around on the issue and only make the pledge in an election which it looks like he will lose.