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Greens revive same-sex marriage bill |
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Monday, 23 June 2008 |
 The Greens' Nick McKim
The Greens will also re-release a legal opinion prepared in 2005 to show that state laws on same-sex marriage do not contravene the Commonwealth Marriage Act.
A same-sex marriage bill was introduced by the Greens in 2005, but defeated.
Greens Deputy Leader Nick McKim, who introduced the 2005 bill, said the Same Sex Marriage Bill 2008 is based on respect and tolerance.
“If we are fair dinkum about removing discrimination we should give all Tasmanians access to the fundamental institutions of our society, including marriage,” McKim said.
“There is no such thing as ‘mostly equal’, and until legislators provide same-sex couples with access to all civil institutions we will continue to discriminate against large numbers of people who deserve much better.”
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson Rodney Croome said marriage is an important way to affirm the love and commitment in relationships, and should not exclude same-sex couples.
"The right to marry is about equality before the law, and about opening the institution of marriage to all those loving couples who uphold its values.
"The onus is now on opponents of same-sex marriage to explain why they want to exclude same-sex couples from one of society's important and fundamental institutions."
In 2004, the Howard Government amended the Marriage Act to define marriage as “the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.”
Barrister Professor George Williams from the University of New South Wales, maintains that the amended Act now refers to opposite-sex marriage only, leaving the states free to makes laws about same-sex marriage.
Read Williams’ legal advice here
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