At the ALP National Conference this week, a resolution was passed calling for the federal government to coordinate implementation of state laws regarding couple’s registries. The resolution was prompted by Victoria’s recent announcement of a couple registry, similar to those already in place in Tasmania and the ACT.
MLC Louise Pratt who was at the conference told OUTinPerth, ‘It [the resolution] falls far short of civil unions or marriage, which many in the GLBTIQQ community would like to see. However, it will provide a legal means of conferring rights and entitlements under federal law to couples who aren’t married’.
Essentially, the ALP is calling for the federal government to recognize state registries for couples. Under Labor’s resolution, once a couple, same-sex or otherwise, has registered they will gain federal rights currently not available, including superannuation and welfare.
Allan McAllum, an organiser with the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers’ Union and LGBTI rights activist who was at the conference, said that although he supported the resolution as a step forward, ‘I don’t feel it goes far enough. It doesn’t equivocally say what we will do. I don’t think it goes the full step to say we will introduce this legislation. It is more about looking at the model and puts emphasis on the states to do it’.
There was some opposition to the resolution, including from the NSW Attorney General John Hatzistergos who spoke and voted against it.
The conference also committed to running a widespread national consultation on a national charter bill of rights that would cover general human rights. Sources at the conference said that there was a high expectation the charter would include diverse sexualities and gender.
