The decision by local Greens branches has surprised some in the left-leaning inner-city electorate, home to the gay and lesbian Mardi Gras which Rev Nile has protested against for decades. Geoffrey Winters is the Liberals' star candidate for Sydney. Credit:Louise Kennerley In his 2013 submission to a NSW Parliament inquiry into same sex marriage laws, he took exception with the American Psychiatric Association's 1973 decision to remove homosexuality as a recognised "mental disorder". "This is false and part of numerous homosexual myths. The removal of homosexuality as a mental disorder has given homosexual activists undue credibility, and they have demanded that their sexual behaviour be affirmed in society, such as demanding that homosexual marriage be recognised legally," he wrote. "If homosexual marriages were allowed and legally recognised, then there will be a push to affirm (through marriage) child brides, bigamous and polygamous partners."

Rev Nile greeted news of Labor's Penny Wong having a baby with her partner Sophie Allouache as a "very poor example for the rest of the Australian population". Christian Democratic Party candidate Ula Falanga. Credit:John Veage "She needn't have made it public. It just promotes their lesbian lifestyle and trying to make it natural where it's unnatural," he said at the time. Ms Ellsmore said Rev Nile's "outrageously conservative" policies on abortion, which includes forcing women to view an ultrasound of the fetus they are carrying before any termination, was anathema to the Greens. "There is absolutely no risk that any votes will end up with the Christian Democrats. We had a really strong debate about it and if there was any chance at all that the CDP would get any votes out of it we would not have done it," she said.

"Ultimately, putting the Liberals last was about ending the misinformation being put around by Labor that there was a deal with the Greens. We need to defeat the Liberal Government and that's the message we are sending." The Greens have given preference the Socialist Alliance and Animal Justice over Labor deputy Tanya Plibersek, who has held the seat of Sydney since 1998. The Liberals have put the Socialist Alliance last in Sydney, with the Greens in the ninth spot. The party is recommending a vote for Rev Nile's candidate as its second preference, despite Mr Winters' personal views on same-sex marriage. Mr Winters, 27, a specialist native title lawyer at Chalk and Fitzgerald, has been asked for comment.

Despite some reports to the contrary over the weekend, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull promised to put the Greens below Labor in every seat rather than last on every ticket. The decision has ended moves in Victoria by Liberal powerbrokers to engage in a deal with the Greens to hinder Labor in that state. Follow us on Twitter