Page 1901 - Week 06 - Thursday, 8 June 2006
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say that this is the first time that this has actually occurred. There is a first time for everything.
The Liberal Party stands by its position on a registration scheme. We think that is the best way forward. If the government had accepted that proposal, there would be no need for this action. There would be no need to get into a fight with the commonwealth, especially during the time of an appalling budget. It is a good distraction. You would not be in this situation if you had accepted what occurs in Tasmania. I think there was unanimous support for a sensible piece of legislation of the kind accepted by same-sex groups in Tasmania, legislation that deals not only with the registration of same-sex couples and accords them all the privileges of law that flow from that, but also other relationships, such as caring relationships. That certainly was our preference. That would not have resulted in all the convoluted problems that you have brought on yourselves.
That being said, we support the right of a territory government to approach the Governor-General. It is the right of a territory government. We agree with the notion, but not the sentiment. In so agreeing with the right to do that, I point out the significant problems in your bill. I point out what you should have done. You knocked back a better scheme. Ultimately, at the end of whatever process we now go through, you may be forced to accept a sensible scheme like the one that operates in Tasmania. It seems to me that you have, all along, perhaps deliberately tried to pick a fight with the federal government.
Mr Mulcahy: Yes.
MR STEFANIAK: One of my colleagues agrees that that is probably the case. It is a very good distraction. It was done at a time when your budget was pretty well framed, a budget that seems to have incurred the ire of most people in the ACT. It certainly is a good distraction.
I commend our amendment to the Assembly. I have pointed out a few other problems we have with the motion, but fundamentally paragraph 8 is the one that should come out. Even if you think that the Civil Unions Act is a lawful exercise, you still have a problem in referring to us as a parliament. I commend the amendment to the Assembly.
This motion will get up. We certainly support the right to write to the Governor-General. It will be interesting to see what actually flows from this. The motion correctly notes that the Australian Capital Territory does not seek to interpose contrary advice from that which might be provided to the Governor-General by the federal Executive Council, and that is an appropriate statement to make in a motion like this.
I want to place on the record the problems that we have with the act that actually was passed, what the government should have done to avoid getting yourself in this pickle and also our comments in relation to the right of the territory to petition the Governor-General. Certainly the territory has that right, and the opposition has no problem with the exercise of that right. It is the situation you have got yourselves into with the passage of the act that we have significant problems with.
I flag today that the opposition will not support your bill to amend the act. I have not seen the bill. I understand what you are trying to do, but we have been, and will continue
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