A first term Nationals MP in country Victoria has drawn the ire of his constituents after comparing same sex relationships with randy rams in a paddock.
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The federal member for Mallee, Andrew Broad, made the unfortunate comments to regional Mildura newspaper Sunraysia Daily, while defending the government's plan to decide the same-sex marriage debate via a plebiscite.
"Do I support calling a relationship between a man and a man, and a woman and a woman marriage? No I don't," Mr Broad said.
"I think a bicycle is not a tricycle and relationships have different names.
"I can put the rams in the paddock and they might mount one another but no lambs will come out."
Mr Broad said he was not personally in favour of changing the definition of marriage and added that the push for the legalisation of same-sex marriage was about language rather than equality because same-sex couples already had legal rights to adoption and access to in-vitro fertilisation.
However, he said a change would allow same-sex couples' relationships to be recognised across state borders.
Kieran Mangan, who lives with his male partner in Mr Broad's electorate, said he was disappointed to read the MP's comments.
"I was infuriated, not only is it dehumanising it's also unrelated," he told ABC radio's AM program on Friday.
"Same sex marriage isn't about breeding, whether it's humans or lambs. It's about two people being allowed to love each other.
"The kind of thing he might say over a couple of beers with mates isn't the kind of thing you should be saying to the general public like that.
"It's directly connecting people of the same-sex attracted to farm animals. I think it's a pretty stupid thing to say."
Mr Broad could not be reached for comment on Friday, with his media spokeswoman saying he was travelling.
In a statement to ABC radio however, Mr Broad said the article was not an accurate reflection of his discussion with the Sunraysia Daily.
"The government will hold a plebiscite on changes to the Marriage Act and every Australian over the age of 18 will be given an opportunity to decide the outcome in line with their personal views," the statement said.
The Sunraysia Daily reporter has maintained he did not take the MP's words out of context.
Mr Broad is not the first minister to make undesirable comments about same sex relationships.
In 2012, Liberal senator Cory Bernardi moved to the backbench after a furore when he argued that permitting same sex marriages could lead to legalised bestiality.
