I sent an email of to my local member and the shadow attorny general. To my surprise I got fast responses from both, on in email and the other in writing.
Okay I will start with the oppositions response via email. Nicola Roxon who is our shadow attorney general (ie she would be the head law maker if her party was in power) for the Labor Party.
… The Labor Party will not oppose the PM’s measures to confirm in the Marriage Act the common law understanding that marriage is “a union between a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others”. Consistent with this, Labor will also not oppose a prohibition on recognising foreign same sex marriages.
more importantly, Labor restates its commitment to remove discriminatory provisions from Commonwealth legislation on the basis of sexuality, following a full audit of existing laws.
…
When complete, this will give same sex couples the rights and recognition of heterosexual de facto couples.
So if they get elected then same sex couples will have the same recognition as unmarried heterosexual couples. This is good, however why then the restriction on marriage. The only reason is the current “common law” interpretation of the current act.
Now my local member Gary Hardgrave belongs to the ruling Liberal Party which introduced the bill to reword the marriage act.
… The Government condemns discrimination in all its forms. However, the Government also believes that it is clearly in the best interests of children for them to have, all other things being equal, the care and affection of both a mother and a father.
…
These [new] words represent the current as well as the historical legal understanding of marriage in Australian Law.
…
marriages entered into under the law of another country are recognised as valid under Australian Law. The Government proposes to amend the Marriage Act to ensure that marriages between people of the same sex entered into under the law of another country are not recognised in Australia.
Ok so as it stands they say this is for the children, because they “believe” it is in the best interest of the child. I would like to see the advice or studies they have based that on.
Comments Welcome..