“There is no longer any excuse if there ever was to discriminate against same-sex couples in our community. They are our children, our parents, our brothers, our sisters, our leaders, our businesspeople, our mentors and our colleagues. More than anything, they are our equals. The Marriage Equality Act puts this fundamental principle and human right into law.”
So said ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher this morning as the territory’s Legislative Assembly passed laws permitting same-sex marriage.
Crikey believes strongly in individuals’ right to choose who they marry, regardless of their sexuality. To treat gay people as second-class citizens, discriminated against by the law, is a throwback to a time of conformity and repression. It’s past time the laws were changed, and not just in the ACT.
The Abbott government intends to challenge these new laws in the High Court. It is fighting on the wrong side of history. The government should consider the fact that its challenge would distress people and run counter to public opinion, and drop this High Court challenge.
After all, as Gallagher noted today, same-sex couples include “our sisters”. Tony Abbott’s sister, Christine Forster, is engaged to her female partner. They want to marry in their home city of Sydney.
Can Tony Abbott give us one good reason why they should not be allowed to do so?
The Abbott government intends to challenge the new laws in the high court. Some say say Mr Pell has instructed his Abbott government front bench disciples. Abbott, Hockey, Pyne, Morrison et al. Could that be true?
Bill – is the Pope a Catholic 😉 Having finally achieved Santamaria’s dream of a conservative Catholic government the Church isn’t going to give up without a fight!
I don’t know why the government doesn’t just repeal the Marriage Act. Why is it there? We don’t have laws for engagements, or christenings or bar mitzvas or any number of other cultural customs.
I would say that repeal is the politically easiest route too. The government would not be condoning or preventing gay marriage, just getting out of that business all together.
Robert Brown, I don’t think an Abbott government would want to be “getting out of that business”, full stop. Our PM would see it as his duty to stay right in that business, that is, the business of telling people how they should make personal decisions about their own lives that have no effect on anyone else. This is core business for religious zealots.
Kudos to the ACT government. Brandis our ‘esteemed’ AG now has to probably do some ‘real’ work i.e. thinking about all the issues relating to church v state, constitutional law, the role of state governments, etc and so forth. Perhaps the books on his bookshelf might get a workout if not his phone to the odious Pell for ‘advice’.