It's an interesting anomaly of late how the so-called "Conservative" parties have generally come out tentatively and even markedly for gay marriage and civil unions.
The British Conservative Party voted for it before the Parliament last year, with only about a quarter of the Parliamentary Party voting against it, and MPs such as Francis Maude actively hammering for it to be passed.
whereas here, the Howard govenment brought a bill banning it before parliament just before the election, and the ALP unanimously supported it. Even the lesbian senator from SA was forced to vote for it. (Australia's parties are a lot more...cohesive then the UK's or especially the USA's. The ALP vote to determine their position and then they all have to follow it, for example. The liberals and nats are similar).
