Gay rights advocates are angered by reports the Prime Minister has refused to support equal treatment for same-sex couples during a Liberal party-room debate on the issue. Australian Coalition for Equality spokespeople, Rodney Croome and Rod Swift, said the Prime Minister is wrong to dismiss the issue as “complicated”.
‘Either Australians in same-sex relationships have the kind of basic entitlements in national law which they already have in state law and which heterosexual couples take for granted, or they continue to suffer deep and often traumatic financial and legal disadvantages – what’s so complicated about that?’ Mr Croome said.
‘It’s hard to respect a Prime Minister who says a core Australian value is equality before the law, who has repeatedly said he opposes discrimination against same-sex couples, but who jettisons all this in the face of an ill-informed email campaign from the same old anti-gay groups.’
‘Is it any wonder the electorate has stopped listening to John Howard when he breaks his own commitments and shows such poor leadership.’
Mr Howard’s comments were made during yesterday’s Liberal party-room debate on same-sex couples, and comes in the wake of a letter-writing campaign from some Christian groups as well as a deadlocked Cabinet debate during which Government Ministers handed the issue over to the Prime Minister for a final ruling.
A recent Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission report highlighted on-going discrimination in 58 federal laws and recommended the removal of this discrimination, while a core group of moderate Liberal MPs, led by North Queensland MHR, Warren Entsch, has been pressuring for change within Government ranks
Mr Swift said the report, and advocacy by moderate Liberals, have moved the Liberal Party to a position where a majority of Federal MPs now support reform.
‘As deeply disappointing as the Prime Minister’s position is, we take heart that is it not representative of his Party and that when he ceases to be leader the Liberals’ opposition to fair and equal treatment will exit with him.’
A report of the Prime Minister’s comments can be found online.
—
Below is a selection of statements by the Prime Minister supporting the removal of legal discrimination against same-sex couples.
June 27th, 2007 – In responding to the (HREOC) report the Prime Minister, John Howard, said he was opposed to discrimination and would look at the report, but that his position on same-sex marriage will not change.
‘There’s no possibility of our attitude in relation to gay marriage changing,” he told Sky News. ‘In relation to other issues we certainly aren’t a government that supports discrimination.’
June 8th, 2006 – A journalist asked Prime Minister Howard, ‘Do you have a problem with same sex couples having the same entitlements as married couples?’
The Prime Minister replied, ‘I am in favour of removing areas of discrimination and we have and I’m quite happy on a case, by case basis to look at other areas where people believe there’s genuine discrimination, but I think they should be looked at on a case by case basis. I don’t think it’s the sort of thing that can be done in an across the board fashion. We made some changes in relation to entitlements a couple of years ago and if there are other areas of genuine discrimination, then I’m in favour of getting rid of them. But that doesn’t mean that you equate those relationships with marriage. I think that is a step that the Australian community doesn’t want to occur, whilst at the same time there are many genuine areas of discrimination.’
The interview can be read online.
March 30th, 2006 – The Prime Minister declares, ‘We will always seek to remove areas of discrimination against homosexuals, gay and lesbian people, we don’t seek to maintain discrimination but there is a special place in Australian society for marriage, the institution of marriage as historically understood, and we do not intend to allow that to be in any way undermined. Thank you.’
The interview can be read online.
December 22nd, 2005 – A journalist asked the Prime Minister, ‘In relation to the recent ceremony between Elton John and his partner, could you foresee a civil partnership law being passed Australia?’
He replied, ‘I would be opposed to it. I think marriage is for men and women. That’s why we amended the Marriage Act. I don’t say that in any sense of hostility or discrimination towards gay people but I believe very strongly that marriage is exclusively a union for life of a man and a woman to the exclusion of others. That is the common understanding of marriage in the Judaeo-Christian tradition and I would be opposed to a recognition of civil unions, although I am strongly in favour – as my Government has demonstrated – strongly in favour of removing any property and other discrimination that exists against people who have same-sex relationships.’
The interview can be read online.
—
This story was taken from a media release by the Australian Coalition for Equality.