The Newman government has taken the extraordinary step of beginning to remove the rights of some of its citizens through its introduction of amendments to the Civil Partnerships Act and related legislation, the Australian Greens said today.

"The Greens are appalled that a state government would crumble to the Australian Christian Lobby's demands and start to legislate to weaken the relationships of same-sex couples," Greens' human rights spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said.

"This decision is another reason why we need federal marriage equality reforms which cannot be weakened at the whim of a malleable state government.

"Civil unions are not marriage, and only marriage says to same-sex Australian couples that their love is equal.

"The Greens have legislation in both houses of federal parliament to remove discrimination faced by same-sex couples who want the right to choose to celebrate their love with a civil marriage ceremony.

"Tony Abbott needs to stop defying Liberal party tradition and grant a conscience vote to Coalition members, following the leadership displayed by the NSW Premier recently for a marriage equality motion."