Registers face new threat
Liberal senators have again pushed for a plan to invalidate existing and planned state and territory relationship registers.
The petition tabled by Queensland Senator Sue Boyce called on marriage to be limited to heterosexual couples who can produce children in a way morally acceptable to God.
The establishing of relationship registers in the states and territories will inevitably expand [this] definition of marriage into meaninglessness, and so compromise the purpose of the Marriage Act, the petition read.
Several similar petitions have been offered by Liberal senators Mitch Fifield and Rod Kemp in recent months. None have carried more than a handful of signatures.
Registers for same-sex couples are only available in Tasmania, Victoria and the ACT. NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos has ruled out NSW following suit, declaring it more appropriately handled at a federal level.
The Rudd Government has indicated its desire for relationship registers to be introduced at a state level, rather than under federal legislation.
The registers have yet to make the agenda of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General, which would facilitate negotiation towards national consistency.
Boyce was recently responsible for establishing the 30 September reporting date for the Senate inquiries into the Rudd Government’s equality bills.
It is time to sent all liberal party members to a detention centre in Naru!!!
I knew for 4 years that the Liberals will ban relationship registories – That is why I will always and only vote for Labor!!!
Vic I would rather have the current Labor government than the Liberals. What gay reform has the Liberals ever done in NSW ? Even when Labor recently a few months back tabled reform bills in parliment which passed, the Majority of the Liberals were against the gay reform and tried to stop it. If your even going to consider the Liberals you may as well consider Family First.
I would normally agree with you, Clint. But unfortunately, NSW currently has a Labour government, though it really is hard to tell sometimes.
This is a perfect reason NOT to vote for the Liberals, sadly thousands of gays and lesbians will though.
Registrations WITH ceremonies can be performed anywhere in NSW, by a marriage celebrant, via the City of Sydney Council. http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Community/ServicesAndPrograms/RelationshipsDeclarationProgram.asp
Seeing as the City of Syd Register has not been mentioned in this latest “ban”, then I guess that when the VIC/ACT/Tas ones have been banned, then the City of Syd one will still be operating. Aparently some 200 people have now signed up to it. They can then just open it up to the whole country, & interstaters can just sign up when visiting during Mardi Gras.