The ACT Government has done a U-turn on the issue of same-sex unions and says it will not support a Greens push to reinstate its original legislation.
The original legislation would have allowed gay and lesbian couples to celebrate their unions with legal ceremonies. But pressure from the Rudd Government saw the proposal watered down earlier this year.
Instead, gay and lesbian couples can register their relationships as civil partnerships, giving them access to tax breaks and super benefits.
Outgoing Greens MLA Deb Foskey will introduce legislation in the Assembly next week which reinstates the legal ceremonies.
But the Government has labelled the move a political stunt ahead of the election.
Attorney-General Simon Corbell has previously ruled out continuing to push the Federal Government over same-sex legislation.
He said cabinet had decided not to back Dr Foskey's proposal because the Federal Government would not support the marriage component of the legislation.
The ACT Government was not willing to put its existing civil partnership laws at risk.
Dr Foskey said she would be disappointed if the Labor Government was not prepared to stick to its principles because it did not want to clash with its federal counterpart.
She has written to federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland asking him not to use his powers to overrule the legislation if it passes in the Assembly.
The Government says the response to its same-sex partnership laws has been stronger than expected. At least 23 couples have registered their relationships since civil partnerships were introduced three months ago.
Mr Corbell said the Government had predicted 15 couples would register civil partnerships every year, a number based on inquiries received from same-sex couples when the legislation was first proposed.
More couples were expected to register as spring and Floriade approached.
Permission for commitment ceremonies at Floriade would be a matter for the Territory and Municipal Services Department.
A spokeswoman for gay rights lobby group Good Process, Heidi Yates, said it was not surprising there had been such a strong response to the new laws.
She expected more couples to take up civil partnerships in the months ahead.
''If you think about a normal wedding, people tend to take about 12 months to organise it and get friends and family together.''