Page 4789 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 11 November 2009
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I think same-sex couples elsewhere in Australia will rightly feel disappointed that their state governments in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia are not following the lead of the ACT, Victoria and Tasmania. That, of course, remains unfinished business in those jurisdictions.
Finally, may the message we send today resonate across this country that this issue will continue to be fought for, that we will continue to argue for full legal equality. I thank members very much for their support of this legislation and, in particular, Mr Rattenbury for bringing it forward and the Attorney-General for his considered amendments. I think it is a triumph for the progressives over the conservatives, and that can only be good for Australian society.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (10.48), in reply: In rising to make this speech in reply, I would like to acknowledge the support for this bill by those members in this chamber who are here today to help us to move forward and end discrimination. I would particularly like to acknowledge the attorney’s efforts in working with the Greens to find the best way forward on this bill, and to also acknowledge Mr Barr’s very articulate and quite personal contribution to the debate, which I think summed up the issues we are discussing very well.
I am deeply saddened that there are those in this place who are happy to sit back and allow discrimination to continue, that there are those in this place who are not prepared to help end the prejudice and that there are those in this place who are not able to articulate a good reason as to why they take that position.
This is a bill to introduce legally recognised ceremonies into the Civil Partnerships Act 2008. A legally recognised ceremony will ensure that appropriate weight is given to the public act of entering into a civil partnership. This bill will ensure that all couples, regardless of sex, have access to a ceremony.
Under the amendments foreshadowed by the government, heterosexual couples have access to ceremonies under the Marriage Act, and under this bill all other couples in society will have ceremonies under the ACT Civil Partnerships Act. This is a step forward for same-sex couples in the ACT. It is not marriage equality for all couples. It should not be seen as a substitute for marriage equality but it is a step forward.
Society places great importance on publicly officiating on the most important occasions in a lifetime. Entry into a civil partnership is one such life-changing moment and deserves the full recognition possible under ACT law. The provisions of the bill give full legal weight to a public declaration of love and shared commitment.
Providing equal access for all couples to legally recognised ceremonies is about equality, decency and respect. Equality—in providing all couples, regardless of gender, with access to a legally recognised ceremony. No longer will heterosexual couples have access to a ceremony under the Marriage Act while same-sex couples are confined to a paper-based registry process. Decency—in that we are removing the current unfair and confusing situation where a couple are free to hold a celebratory ceremony but one which has no legal effect. And the bill is about respect and dignity
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