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Subscribe now to access Subscribe Search for: Weather: Sydney goC - 19°C. Mostly sunny. Queensland election 2012 Campbell Newman 'panders to Christians' on repealing civil unions

BY; JARED OWENS AND ANDREW FRASER From: Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size Print Email Share Add to Digg Add to deLicio.us Add to Facebook Add to Kwoff Add to Myspace Add to Newsvine What are these? o

CAMPBELL Newman has struggled to clarify his position on same-sex civil unions, telling the Australian Christian Lobby he would attempt to repeal the laws despite previously saying he "wouldn't be doing anything" about them.

The Liberal National Party leader yesterday insisted his position had not changed, as Premier said the backtlip proved "the growing influence ofsome far right-wing groups" among Queensland's conservatives.

Couples in Queensland will be able to formalise marriage-like unions from Monday, following the passage ofa private member's bill with overwhelming support fi'om LaborMPs last year.

Following the vote,I'vIr Newman said he intended to retain the law ifcouples had already registered their relationships by the time he took office.

"(Repealing the law) would obviously be an unacceptable and intolerable situation for them, so in that scenario we wouldn't be doing anything," he told Fairfax Media in December.

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But addressing an ACL gathering in on Sunday night, Mr Newman said "ifwe get into government and can (repeal the law), we will repeal it".

Asked to clarify his position yesterday, Mr Newman said an LNP government would "look at repealing" the civil unions legislation but he did not want to leave anyone "in a legal limbo".

Asked to clarifY what he meant by a legal limbo,Mr Newman said: "What that means is that, exactly what it says. Look, I've answered the question, ladies and gentlemen."

Ms Bligh accusedMr Newman ofpandering to the religious conservatives by telling the ACL audience what they wanted to hear.

"Campbell Newman has repeatedly publicly supported civil unions until he had to go to an ACL meeting, in which case he told them that he didn't support them.

"What we've seen increasingly in the LNP is the growing influence from some far right-wing groups, and the ACL hasn't been honest or open about that."

On Sunday night, Mr Newman told the Christians his party's position was "very clear".

"We voted against the bill the other day and we've said that ifwe get into government and can, we will repeal it," he said.

"'I'hat may not be possible and you can see right now the media and the Labor Party are basically trying to push couples to come forward and what I've said before is I have no desire to leave people in a legal limbo.

"'I'hat's the very strong position ofmy entire parliamentary team, my candidates across the state and my party. That's where we're coming from."

The ACL yesterday also launched a website - www.qldvotes.com.au - which lists each MPs voting records on both same-sex civil unions and sUlTogacy for single women and homosexual couples.

The website also names eight Labor MPs who receive donations fl'om Emily's List, an organisation that supports progressive female candidates. o

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