Page 3501 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 22 October 2014
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beyond politics and for politicians to work together. It is also important that Prime Minister Abbott allows the members of his party to undertake a genuine conscience vote on the issue of marriage equality.
As Ms Berry pointed out, the latest polling shows that 72 per cent of Australians support marriage equality. Countries all around the world are leaving Australia behind by recognising marriage equality in their own laws. It is an easy change to make. For a short time, this was the case in the ACT. The sky did not fall in; nothing changed except that people were happy. They shared their love, and for a short time an enduring discrimination was lifted and people were treated fairly and with respect. Sadly, we were overruled by the High Court, but that does not take away from the fact that there was a time here in the ACT that was a very important time.
I support Ms Berry’s motion. I thank her for bringing it to the Assembly, and I reiterate on behalf of the ACT Greens my strong support for marriage equality and for action from our federal parliament.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Planning, Minister for Community Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations, Minister for Children and Young People and Minister for Ageing) (5.27): I thank my colleague Ms Berry for bringing this important motion here today. l am pleased to speak on the motion, and I would like to reflect on this momentous day—one year since we passed the Marriage Equality Bill 2013—and some of the work I am doing in my capacity as community services minister.
Marriage equality is an area of reform which is gaining momentum in many parts of the world. From America to South America, Europe, South Africa and New Zealand, legislation is being passed on a more frequent basis every year. This is one of the few reforms which will not have a negative impact on anyone in the community. There is not a single person in this country who, if members of the same sex were to be allowed to marry, would be negatively impacted. It is a win-win legislative change all round. I was extremely proud when the Marriage Equality Bill 2013 was passed on this day last year. Minister Barr’s speech supporting the legislation indeed moved me to tears, and I am very glad we passed that legislation.
Despite the decision of the High Court which followed the bill’s passing in this place, I believe it was a statement of our ideals in the territory and epitomises everything that Canberra stands for—inclusion, fairness and equality. This part of the spirit of Canberra was also represented by Mrs Jones’s motion earlier this morning on Canberra’s multicultural diversity.
The time for marriage equality is well past. We have seen that countries like France, with only 50 per cent of the population supporting marriage equality, can successfully pass legislation. I firmly believe here in Australia, where 72 per cent of people support marriage equality, that legislative change must happen. Federal deputy opposition leader, Tanya Plibersek, has flagged the possibility of introducing a private members bill for marriage equality, noting that the prospects of progress on the bill are contingent on the Liberal Party allowing a conscience vote for coalition MPs. I thank Ms Plibersek and encourage her to bring this bill to the federal parliament.
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