The Democrats are on the verge of another bitter split, after superannuation spokesman John Cherry said his party would abandon its long-held commitment to achieve recognition of same sex couples in superannuation law.

The latest Democrats implosion followed yesterday’s report in The Age that the Government had called the Democrats bluff by threatening to dump its superannuation package rather than give same-sex couples equal superannuation rights.

Senator Cherry told The Age political correspondent Annabel Crabb the party would pass the super reforms when they hit the Senate again next week without the same sex amendment the Senate passed after Labor voted for same sex super rights for the first time. “I think it was worth doing for the moral victory of getting Labor on the record (but) there are plenty of other bills coming up that these amendments can be attached to,” Senator Cherry said.

But Western Australian Democrats Senator Brian Greig told the Herald online he would cross the floor if his Party caved in. “Senator Cherry does not speak for me on this issue. I will not vote for this Bill if the same-sex amendments fail,” he said.

Senator Cherry’s announcement flies in the face of more than a decade of failed Democrats attempts to achieve same-sex equality in superannuation law under both Labor and Liberal governments. Last month’s vote was the first time the Democrats achieved the numbers in the Senate to achieve their goal.

Senator Cherry’s spokesman played down the back-down yesterday: “The Democrats will be moving our amendment when the Senate resumes on Tuesday. We would hope the Government gives it favourable consideration.”

A spokesman for Democrats leader Andrew Bartlett said The Age report was “jumping the gun”, and that “negotiations” were still underway.

But Victorian Democrats Senator Lyn Allyson told the Herald online: “I will be (reluctantly) not insisting on the amendment.”

Senator Greig said a back down would be “profoundly disappointing” given Labor’s first-time support on the issue. He said he was yet to notify the Democrats National Executive (standard procedure for conscience votes within the party) that he would cross the floor.

Greig, an openly gay Senator in a long term same sex partnership, has campaigned against discrimination against homosexuals since he became a Senator in 1998.

Polly Bush is a nom de plume. She is a Melbourne writer and regular Webdiary columnist. Polly’s backgrounder to the same sex super saga is at Same sex super: how we value love.