New Zealand’s new Labour Party leader has said he supports marriage equality and gay adoption, saying civil unions are not enough.

David Shearer, the newly-elected Labour leader in New Zealand, says he is for marriage equality and it has his support ‘in principle’ but would have to see the details of the legislation first. Although civil unions have been legal in New Zealand since 2005, some still want full marriage equality and now the country's political leaders are begining to understand that need.

He also believes updating the adoption laws, which currently prohibits gay couples from adopting, is ‘long overdue’. However Labour is currently in opposition and the government, dominated by the National Party, has said this is ‘not a priority’.

Shearer’s deputy is Wellington Central MP Grant Robertson, who is openly gay and part of the four-MP Rainbow Caucus within Labour.

Rodney Croome, the campaign director for Australian Marriage Equality says that ‘David Shearer's support for marriage equality is a reminder to Australians that civil unions can never be a substitute for full legal equality,’ adding ‘it would be a mistake for Australia to go down the same path.’

Croome also says that David Shearer’s comments highlight Julia Gillard’s ‘out of step’ opposition to gay marriage: ‘If Australians needed reminding that Julia Gillard's stance is at odds with other centre-left leaders, David Shearer has provided it.’