Bill Shorten has defended his shift of position on a same-sex marriage plebiscite by saying it might have been valuable a few years ago but now "the community's moved on".
The Opposition Leader, speaking after the emergence of a 2013 video in which he said he was "relaxed" about a plebiscite, said similar votes overseas had been marred by needlessly destructive and homophobic campaigning.
"I think the community's moved on. Maybe a plebiscite was an idea a few years ago but I think community attitudes have moved on … We should just have it dealt with in the Parliament," Mr Shorten told radio station 2DayFM.
Mr Shorten tackled the issue in several morning interviews on radio and television, acknowledging he'd changed his view and repeating his warning that Ireland's 2015 referendum that legalised same-sex marriage in that country had brought out ugly and destructive campaigning.
A video published by The Australian on Wednesday showed Mr Shorten telling an Australian Christian Lobby forum during the 2013 election campaign that he favoured Parliament deciding the issue of same-sex marriage but then adding he would be "relaxed" about a plebiscite.
"I think Parliament should decide this … I can't see the parliament for a long time deciding to vote for a change," he said.
"At the end of the day that's why you elect parliaments – to make decisions. So I believe you should allow the parliament, if that's what has to happen, to make a determination on this question.
"But personally speaking, I'm completely relaxed about having some form of plebiscite."
He then appeared to contradict his initial remarks by saying: "I would rather that the people of Australia could make their view clear on this than leaving this issue to 150 people [in the Lower House of the Parliament]."
Mr Shorten told ABC radio on Wednesday morning: "I'm sure that some people think the plebiscite's the way to go. I no longer have that view."
A plebiscite after the next election became Coalition policy after a lengthy and heated party room meeting during the last days of Tony Abbott's leadership in which the then prime minister sided with the right wing of his party to establish a national vote - widely seen as a way of pushing the issue down the road.
Mr Shorten branded it a "$160m taxpayer funded opinion poll which conservatives in the Liberal Party say they're not even going to be bound by".
On Tuesday night, both Treasurer Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said they would "respect" the outcome of the plebiscite but refused specifically to commit to voting for a same-sex marriage bill even if the plebiscite was successful.
Mr Shorten has repeatedly raised during the campaign the spectre of a homophobic hate campaign arising out of the plebiscite from the most fringe opponents of same-sex marriage, which otherwise enjoys widespread support in Australia, according to polls.
"There will be ugly elements in this debate," Mr Shorten told ABC. "Not everyone who's against marriage equality has an invalid view. But there will be ugly arguments rear their head … Why not let the parliamentarians do what they're paid to do and get this issue dealt with?"
