Page 4796 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 11 November 2009
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I would like to thank those officials from the Department of Justice and Community Safety who are present in the chamber today and who have worked on these amendments and taken the time to meet with the Greens and explain those amendments to us in some detail. That background information was very useful for us in understanding the intent, the motivation and the purpose of those amendments.
While I have the floor, one area I would like to reflect on in the course of the debate already is the issue of consistency and the issue of hypocrisy. One of the worst things in public life is to be hypocritical. Sometimes that can be a point of debate—changing of positions, taking a different perspective on things. But then there is blatant hypocrisy. I would like to read from a speech given in this place on 9 December by Mr Hanson. Mr Hanson, who vociferously in the division just dealt with opposed this legislation, said on 9 December:
I have great respect for all religious faiths and I believe in a secular society where men and women of all races and religion and those without religious beliefs are treated equally. I believe that a person’s morality is measured by their actions rather than by their creed.
I support individual freedoms over collectivism and I believe in choice. I believe in an individual’s right to choose the school that best meets the needs of his child or her child. I believe in an individual’s right to negotiate with his employer as part of a union or as an individual.
I support a woman’s right to choose, and I am encouraged to serve an Assembly where nearly 50 per cent of its members are women.
Finally, he said:
I believe in advancing the rights of gay and lesbian people.
I simply put the question: given that statement, Mr Hanson, on what basis did you oppose today’s legislation?
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 6, as amended, agreed to.
Clause 7 agreed to.
Clause 8.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (11.18): I move amendment No 2 circulated in my name [see schedule 1 at page 4908].
This amendment inserts a new section 8C in the bill. This new section clarifies the date of effect of a civil partnership if a couple chooses to register the date of effect as
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