ACT bill blocked again

Federal attorney-general Philip Ruddock has announced he will veto the ACT’s planned civil partnership bill a second time, despite significant amendments made by the territory’s government.Ruddock said yesterday he would recommend the governor-general disallow the Civil Partnerships Bill because it had not removed the concerns that the commonwealth had about the Civil Unions Act. It remains the government’s opinion that the Civil Partnerships Bill would still in its amended form be likely to undermine the institution of marriage.The announcement has angered the ACT government and activists.It just beggars belief that we have a commonwealth government that really isn’t able to give any substantive argument and just says, -˜Well, we think it offends the institution of marriage,’ ACT attorney-general Simon Corbell told ABC Radio.Lobby group Australian Coalition for Equality called on Ruddock to specify which parts of the bill were problematic.