Two more ALP federal election candidates have said they support same-sex marriage, prompting marriage equality advocates to declare that the Labor Party's opposition to same-sex marriage is "splitting at the seams"

LABOR’S candidate for Wentworth has broken ranks and come out in support of gay marriage, a view that is at odds with the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.

On Monday, Steven Lewis became the second Labor Party hopeful to repudiate the party line, following the lead of the endorsed Labor candidate for Melbourne, Cath Bowtell.

“My personal view is that I support gay marriage,” Mr Lewis told the Courier.

“I believe that those who are in a loving relationship of the same sex should have the same rights as a heterosexual couples.

“I understand that this view might not be shared by the majority of the people of Australia, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work towards achieving that goal.”

Mr Lewis’s stand on the issue could thrust same-sex marriage into the spotlight in Wentworth, one of Australia’s gayest electorates.

It is one of the few hot-button election issues that differentiate Mr Lewis from the Member for Wentworth, Malcolm Turnbull, whose view is that marriage is “a union between a man and a woman”.

While Mr Turnbull is opposed to gay marriage, he is open to the idea of civil unions and said social policy should not discriminate against same-sex couples.

Along with the inner-city seats of Sydney and Grayndler, Wentworth has been the focus of a campaign by gay rights group Australian Marriage Equality.

It needs just a 3.9 per cent swing to go to the Labor, which is likely to benefit from a healthy flow of Greens preferences.

Australian Marriage Equality’s national convener, Alex Greenwich, welcomed Mr Lewis’s support, saying it showed there was “fresh new blood within Labor that’s reflecting community sentiment”.

He said it would put pressure on Tanya Plibersek, Anthony Albanese and the openly gay senator Penny Wong, the three Labor ministers who have driven key reforms removing discrimination toward gay couples but toed the party line when questioned about marriage equality.

“Same-sex marriage is an issue that goes beyond party lines, and it’s affecting a lot of people’s lives in the seat of Wentworth today,” Mr Greenwich said.

“We need the support of people like Steven Lewis, but we also need the support of others like Penny Wong, who for some reason is against her own sense of equality.

“It’s at best baffling to work out why such a young country is entrenching discrimination and law when established countries are able to go forward on the issue.”

A spokeswoman for Mr Turnbull said Mr Lewis would be “no more effective than Penny Wong at pressing this issue inside Caucus”.

“Labor and Prime Minister Gillard have been very clear about their vigorous opposition to gay marriage,” Mr Turnbull’s spokeswoman said.

“Malcolm is deeply committed to equal economic and legal rights for same-sex couples and was able to bring his entire party to this view, paving the way for Parliament to legislate for equality.”

The Greens candidate for Wentworth, Matthew Robertson, said he thought Mr Lewis’s support of same-sex marriage equality was “little more than a vote grab”.

“He’s advocating a position on gay marriage within a party that is unlikely to move on this issue in the next term of parliament,” he said.

“It’s a hollow promise because, even if Steven Lewis was elected, he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.”

Mr Robertson said same-sex marriage equality was “a question of human rights”.

“The Labor Party and Penny Wong can talk about reforms until the cows come home but the most important reform is marriage equality,” he said.

“Until that’s achieved, all of these reforms stand for very little in the eyes of the young gay and lesbian people in this electorate.”

Ms Plibersek was unavailable for comment.