Page 1030 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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adopted by a person they regard as their parent, and are regarded by the adopter as their child, the legislature should not prohibit individuals formalising this relationship. It is not sensible to be taking up a court’s time in determining whether “exceptional circumstances” exist, or to be putting the family through that process.
The Greens also agree with the clause 5 amendment to remove the prohibition on married persons being adopted. There is no logical policy reason for the prohibition and the explanatory statement for the Adoption Act contains no such information. We agree with the views already expressed that this provision is potentially discriminatory and should be removed, to bring us in line with other jurisdictions, and allow families greater freedom to decide how to formally recognise their family relationships.
The Greens are pleased to be able to support this bill.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (5.15), in reply: I thank members for their support and it is pleasing to see that this commonsense approach and this approach which was first championed by Mr Stefaniak in the previous Assembly will be resolved unanimously by those in this place. I am not the sort of person who is desperately in favour of making legislation on the basis of single cases but Ms Hunter has referred to the representations that were made to members of this place. On this occasion, it seemed such a blindingly straightforward issue that we should actually address this issue. Although the changes have been brought about as a result of representations from a single family, they will have benefits in the future for other members of the community.
I thank members for their support and I will look forward to the minister’s more through review of the Adoption Act when that becomes available.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
Adjournment
Motion (by Mr Barr) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Organ donor awareness
Ovarian cancer
MR HANSON (Molonglo) (5.16) I would like to speak in the adjournment debate about two issues today. One is organ donor awareness and the other is ovarian cancer. Firstly, when it comes to organ donor awareness, you would have been aware that there is a lot of information in the media about the seriousness of this issue. Today,
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