Gay Australians will not accept proposals that mimic equal rights...Our friend Niall sent us the link to the following story, which we'd missed thanks to the Logies taking pride of place on the web pages of all the commercial media outlets. From the ABC:
The ACT Government is to water down its civil partnerships scheme after failing to win support from the Commonwealth.
Making the announcement, ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell said he "regretted" the Federal Government's refusal to change its position.
"The ACT condemns in the strongest possible terms the Federal Government's resort to this undemocratic, 19th century colonial style power to override the decision of a democratically-elected ACT Legislative Assembly," he said.
The ACT had planned to introduce legislation that would recognise gay unions through a legal ceremony.
Instead, couples will be allowed to register their relationship, but any ceremony will have no recognition in law.
The Federal Government has welcomed the decision and Attorney-General Robert McClelland says he has made it clear to the ACT that he will not accept legislation that mimics marriage.
I think the best response to that last sentence is to refer everyone to the 7.30 Report interview where Kerry O'Brien bent Robert McClelland and the Labor Party's bigoted policy over a chair and had his way with them both. This is a moment of cowardice for Labor, and a missed opportunity for Australia to rid itself of state-sanctioned anti-gay bigotry. We have a Prime Minister, finally, who wasn't scared to say 'Sorry' to Australia's indigenous people, but doesn't have the guts to stand up to the 25% or so of Australians who believe that gay people shouldn't have the same rights as everyone who only have sex with people of the opposite gender. Maybe Kevin Rudd doesn't want to be a Gough Whitlam, but unless Labor grows some balls on this issue they risk becoming as irrelevant as John Howard, regardless of how many elections Kev goes on to win.
4 comments:
fucking disgraceful action by Rudd and Mccleland. i wonder what the story behind it is, previously Rudd saud he wouldnt interfere and now this.
keeping fielding on side. if you know anyone who voted family first, you should punch them, in the face.
We (ACT Labor) didn't capitulate. We were railroaded. We had no choice but to present a lesser model because of so called 'election promises' by the Feds to not let poofs marry. Which is essentially the thrust of it. I expect it from the Libs. I don't expect it from my own party.
Well, forced capitulation then. Gam's right, it's all about keeping Steve Fielding happy because the government will need him in order to pass legislation in the Senate. I only hope that we can have another term of Rudd with Labor and Greens in control of the senate and then see Kevin Rudd truly put to the test. Thankfully Fielding should be out on his arse at the next election. Still, it's a long time to wait.
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