Colin Craig

Conservative Party Leader Colin Craig is backing NZ First's call for a referendum on gay marriage.

And he told TV3's "The Nation" this weekend he would accept the result if the referendum approved gay marriage.

"I'm confident that a referendum is the right way to go, and if it came out with that decision then I would move absolutely forward with it," he said.

He said he would accept it "because that's the direction of the people and that's what's most important to me."

But Mr Craig said he did not believe people were born gay.

He said most people recognised there were other influences "such as upbringing, such as events in life, such as role models".

"There's statistics around some of these things, so for homosexual men, they are statistically far more likely to have suffered child abuses as a child, and that's one of the tragedies about our country."

He said several things could make a difference in the choices people made.

"Role modelling, the people you get involved with, the type of relationship, the type of life you live.

"All of these things are inputs into our choices.

"Genetics is one, but you see I don't believe it is the sole determinant, I think life's more complex than that, I think it's a big of a narrow minded view to say well it's all genetics."