Senator used in call for social exclusion

A Labor frontbencher responsible for social inclusion has tabled a petition against same-sex relationships registers.

Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Prime Minister for Social Inclusion, NSW Senator Ursula Stephens acted on behalf of 35 people calling on the government to ban non-heterosexual relationship recognition.

The establishing of Relationship Registers in the States and Territories will inevitably expand beyond the definition of marriage into meaninglessness, and so compromise the purpose of the Marriage Act, the petition states.

Your petitioners therefore pray that, with the powers vested exclusively in the Federal Parliament under Section 51 of the Australian Constitution, you amend the Marriage Act 1961 to invalidate any present or future States’ or Territories’ Relationship Registers.

The petition also references Genesis and Leviticus from the Bible.

Similarly worded petitions have been introduced several times this year by Liberal and Labor senators and MPs.

Senators and MPs are not required to agree with petitions they table.