Prime Minister Tony Abbott must grant his party room a conscience vote on gay marriage if the Liberal party is to remain a "shining light for individualism", a group of young Liberals in Melbourne say.
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The Caulfield Young Liberals have moved a motion at this weekend's Liberal State Council that calls upon the Federal Liberal Parliamentary Party to grant MPs a conscience vote on same-sex marriage legislation.
"The Liberal Party has historically been the shining light for individualism and personal choice in Australian society," they say.
"If we are to stay true to these values then, when there are divergent views on issues of morality and complex ethical questions, issues that can only be determined by personal conscience, we must grant a conscience vote."
When same-sex marriage was voted on in the federal parliament in September 2012, Mr Abbott, as Opposition Leader, did not grant his MPs a conscience vote on the issue saying the party's policy was to oppose same-sex marriage.
Labor MPs were granted a conscience vote for the legislation, which ultimately failed.
The state council to be held at the Melbourne Convention Centre over the weekend includes a keynote address from Premier Denis Napthine on Sunday. Throughout the weekend there a series of motions to be debated by the council including adding buying Australian made to the school curriculum.
"Our teachers in our primary and secondary schools go to great lengths to influence our children regarding climate change, yet our economy is left out and subsequently we find ourselves in a manufacturing jobs crisis," the South-East Business Branch says.
The Ivanhoe State Electorate Conference wants a study into a North-East Link to connect EastLink with Greensborough, while the Victorian Young Liberals want an end to minimum three-hour shifts for casual workers.
The Trade, Investment & Employment Policy Forum wants both state and federal governments to stop giving taxpayer-funded hand-outs to ailing business and to develop an 'exceptional circumstances policy' to justify any departure from the policy.
Other motions set to be debated, include a push to remove compulsory indigenous welcome to country at official events, and a call from several groups to introduce a school vouchers program so parents have more choice in where to send their children.
"The State public schools are dominated by Teacher Unions. Families often cannot afford a Christian school which has to charge fees because of only 65 per cent funding. They are therefore denied any choice. The school Voucher system gives power to the parents and not to bureaucrats and Unions," the Portland branch says.
