Lynn MacLaren MLC has read in her state based legislative bill aims to legalise same sex marriage in Western Australia. The Marriage Equality Bill 2012 will allow for the authorisation of celebrants and the registration of same-sex marriage.

Explaining the bill further, MacLaren identified that the change will be made to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registrations Act 1998, ‘it also provides for the dissolution and annulment of same-sex marriages, and for related financial matters via amendments to the Family Court Act 1997’.

The state bill is being presented in light of failure to achieve equal marriage rights at a federal level – ‘Efforts at the federal level failed because Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard refused to get out of the way of a reform that the majority of Australians support.

‘I want to provide the opportunity at the state level to make marriage equality a reality’, she said.

The Greens party have sought legal advice regarding state-based marriage laws and have revealed that the bill is not only lawful but would stand up against federal challenge.

MacLaren highlighted that 11 other countries had legalised same-sex marriage, as well as States in the US and Mexico, ‘It is high time that Australia joined other civilised states and nations in rejecting prejudice and embracing marriage equality.

‘Someday soon I hope we will look back on this same-sex marriage debate and wonder what all the fuss was about’.

Nadine Walker