Heroes and Villains
Last week, the federal Senate debated the Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws -“ General Law Reform) Bill 2008, along with amendments. Below are some of the highlights.
The Heroes
Shadow Attorney-General, Senator George Brandis (Liberal)
This is a historic day because, when this legislation passes through the chamber and the related bill passes through the chamber, Australia will have brought to fulfilment a long history of legislative and policy measures to eliminate discrimination against people on unfair grounds and to instate and affirm the principle that people should be judged by their merits and by their merits alone.
Senator Louise Pratt (Labor)
I am very pleased with the substantive legal equality for couples irrespective of the gender, identity or sexuality of couples that this bill implements. However, personally, I hope that one day there is a majority in this parliament to remove discrimination against all couples in relation to marriage.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young (The Greens)
To think that in 2008, we are only now beginning to see steps to remove discrimination against same-sex couples and their families is an indictment of former Liberal and Labor governments’ failure to act on what is a fundamental human right
The Villains
Senator Steve Fielding (Family First)
[My] opposition has been based on the concern that the legislation should be child-focused and that marriage should not be undermined-¦ It is in the best interests of children to have both a mother and a father where possible. It is vitally important to promote marriage and not reduce its status, because it is marriage where children get both a mum and a dad.
Senator Barnaby Joyce (National)
If, as I said, you pull down everything else but the word -˜marriage’ then you have obviously affected what a marriage is and you have obviously affected what is the most principled part of a marriage, and that is how children are brought up. This is another move towards a diminution of the rights of the child.
