NSW opposition leader Luke Foley is concerned about Labor unity should the party pursue a binding vote on same-sex marriage at this week's conference.
Mr Foley has changed his view of gay marriage in recent years, but believes there should be a conscience vote on the issue and doesn't believe reform can be made on a matter like this by compelling people to change their vote.
"Clearly a majority of people in the party support same-sex marriage being legislated for in the commonwealth government," he told Sky News on Sunday.
"But I won't support taking away from Labor's parliamentarians the ability to exercise their own conscience when these matters come before the parliament."
He also doesn't rule out people smuggling and boat turn-backs being discussed at the conference but he wants to see what's presented.
He said there is a discussion under way and he has detected an open mindedness to look at various options.
"What matters is what works, that's the approach that I take," he said.
He also hopes delegates think for themselves on a range of issues rather than feel they are locked into the left or right of the party, political labels that go back to the early 1950s but have no relevance today.
"It would be my hope that next week's 400 delegates can each think for themselves, without taking the sort of view that they should be locked in by a particular grouping to which they give some sort of loyalty," he said.
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