Page 1612 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 May 2006
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another? Surely the parent or guardian will still be responsible for the actions of persons between the ages of 16 and 18 years.
Mr Stanhope: That is a crime.
MRS BURKE: There you go. You are going to laugh that off. Does that make it right? We are going to allow young people to get in these relationships—
Government members interjecting—
Mr Stefaniak: We heard you in silence.
MRS BURKE: Yes, we did. If we look at major players who have really tried to take a very commonsense line on this, such as the Australian Christian Lobby, they have put supports and responses to arguments. Let us have a look at that. Argument:
It is wrong to discriminate against people therefore the state needs to recognise same sex relationships as it recognises heterosexual relationships.
Response:
In reality, there has been positive discrimination in favour of homosexuals or discrimination against marriage. Under ACT law, married people now live in “domestic partnerships” just the same as unmarried couples and homosexual couples.
There is an important difference between protecting the rights of minority groups and the endorsement and therefore encouragement of a relationship by state recognition of it. Governments have already acted to remove discrimination against homosexuals from many different laws.
Sixty-two acts have already been amended in the ACT.
Mr Barr: And you opposed every one of them.
MRS BURKE: They have still gone through, Mr Barr. It is still there. You have had your way. This bill is another way, a stalking horse, to give young people another set of rights with no responsibilities. Or, worse still, leave them in a place of limbo. Who is going to look after them? What is going to happen? They may be old enough to have this civil union, but are they really mature enough and responsible enough to face the consequences of what goes wrong once they are set away from their parents or guardians?
Mr Stanhope: They can get married, Jacqui.
MRS BURKE: One has to be over 18, Chief Minister. I have just said that. You know that. Under commonwealth legislation, this problem does not exist because one of the partners is over the age of 18 years.
I stand adamantly by the Liberal Party position in the ACT. I trust that the ACT community can see quite clearly that we fully support the traditional notion of marriage
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