Australia To Ban Gay Marriage & Adoption

[Cannikin]

(Canberra) Australian Prime Minister John Howard today announced legislation to prevent same-sex couples from marrying or adopting children.

Despite a multi-million dollar federal government tourism program overseas to cultivate a reputation for Australia as a gay oasis, the Howard government is accused by gays at home as homophobic and reactionary.

Howard said the Marriage Act would be amended to exclude gay couples from marrying and bar the government from recognizing gay unions performed outside the country. The Act will now include a clause defining marriage as "a union of a man and a woman to exclusion of all others," he said.

The Prime Minister also said that the law will show that " marriage is something that should rest in the hands ultimately of the parliament of the nation." He said that state governments and the courts will have no jurisdiction to change the will of parliament on marriage.

http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/05/052704ozBan.htm

[Fenris]

1. Australia: Utah with a beach!

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. True! "Hitler" Howard, meet "Hitler" Hatch!

[Cannikin]

3. lol

[Djinn]

6. I wouldn't go THAT far

I'm more often found on DU criticising than defending the Sunburnt Country but Utah is WAAAY to far.

Rooboy's right - I doubt very much the myopic little shit who thinks it's 1954 who occupies our highest office (a few more months and counting with any luck) will ever get this through the Senate - in Aust the Senate consists of members of the conservative parties (of which only the National party members and a handful of Lib's go in for gay bashing) but also the ALP (almost conservative these days if the truth be told) Democrats, Greens and independants.

The words "look to the mote in thine own eye" are jumping to mind

[rooboy]

4. It won't happen.

there is no way the Australian senate will let any shit legislation like this through. It's John Howard trying to divide the electorate because he knows he's fucked when it comes to genuine issues.

[soaky]

7. that was my first thought

until i checked what the abc were reporting

------
"The Oppositon says it will not oppose the Government's moves to ban same-sex marriages.

Shadow Attorney-General Nicola Roxon says the Opposition has made it clear that it does not support gay marriages.

"Clearly marriage has a history within Australia," she said. "Already it is a heterosexual institution. It is something that the common law recognises as a union between a man and woman and if when we examine the Bill it is consistent with what is the common law, I expect that we will be supporting it." that the opposition will support it."
-----

If this is true, the greens and democrats won't be able to block it

[rooboy]

10. Why do Labor make it so hard to vote for them?? n/t

[iangb]

16. At the risk of offending some DU'rs

....this isn't a big issue with the electorate.

It's simply another attempt by Howard to create a wedge issue with which to belt Labour.

The safest response from Labour is to let it pass through to the keeper.

None of the above should indicate anything other than :

a: Howard is despicable little shit, and

b: Labour is willing to forgo its priciples if it increases it's chance of gaining office.

[rooboy]

21. You're right - Labor has actually pulled the rug out from under Howard...

although I don't think it's a minor issue to a lot of Australians. In any case, the people who think it's an issue won't vote for Howard anyway. He just made himself look really desperate by coming out with his press conference - it was kind of like Bush's tv appearance the other day.

[Davis_X_Machina]

5. All I could think of was the Monty Python sketch.....

...set in the Philosophy department of Walamaloo:

No. Right, I just want to remind you of the faculty rules:
Rule One! (Everyone) No Poofters!
Rule Two, no member of the faculty is to maltreat the Abos in any way at all -- if there's anybody watching.
Rule Three? (Everyone) No Poofters!!
Rule Four, now this term, I don't want to catch anybody not drinking.
Rule Five, (Everyone) No Poofters!
Rule Six, there is NO ... Rule Six.
Rule Seven, (Everyone) No Poofters!!

[clonebot]

8. new zealand is where its at

its better than the main australian continent anyways.

[dudeness]

9. I'm speechless

for maybe the first time..

[ibegurpard]

11. How the hell did this dicksnot get elected in Australia?

what gives with that?

[anakie]

12. call me cynical

but the week before he visits Bush. Look what I did Georgie. I want to be just like you..

[Blasphemer]

13. Blech....

I knew Howard was no good but I didn't know he was this bad. I guess he's * with an Aussie accent :puke:

I love how marriage has suddenly become so goddamned sacred simply because gay couples wish to have the same rights as everyone else.

[DaveSZ]

14. LOl

He is Bush with an aussie accent!

Does he also pass legislation that erodes your constitution as well?

[jason_au]

18. Have a look at our constitution....

We don't have a bill of rights to be eroded (bar a very few "implied" rights which our High Court has asserted). Not that Howard isn't trying to have a go at those.

But other than that, Howard is every bit as disgusting as *.

[Brian_Expat]

15. Heh. . .

Howard is a right-wing dope, and will have a hard time barring recognition of gay marriages from other Commonwealth countries like Canada if the Queen is the head of state. He'll likely trigger a legal crisis as a result of his actions.

But who cares in his party? This is all about election-year politics.

[Dead_Parrot]

17. Idle question...

Does Oz have an official state religion? I'm thinking of the UK & Church of England...

[jason_au]

19. Nope!

We actually have a constitutional bar against a state religion, much like the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Not that it's prevented corrupt filth from clothing their actions in the robes of Christianity, as the story at the top shows.

[iangb]

20. No. But......

HRH the Queen is our Constitutional Head of State. Since she's also head of the C of E you could argue that implies C of E is Aus's state religion.

[rooboy]

22. Yeah. It's called Football. n/t

[interupt]

23. Wedge Politics

I am pro same sex marriage, but people seem to miss the point;

1. Howard is trying to appeal to the conservative base.
2. This is an attempt to distract people from Howards unpopularity.
3. Labour were right to accept this initially. Whenever Labour have been in power, they have controlled both houses and frankly I believe that Labour will be equitable in the future, and frankly will ride over any dissent
4. Howard has banned gays from adopting children from overseas, not all children.
5. The gay lobby is correct. This is homophobic and reactionary. Probably what the govt wants. (Look a fag is behind you!!!)
6. Notice that gays will still have equal rights to superannuation and spouse income (taxation) That is damn good

Believe me, its not hard to vote for labour. Just think Costello.

-shudder-

[soaky]

25. gays don't 'still' have equal super rights

gays don't currently have equal rights for a partner's super, and while howard is using a change in the super laws as a nice big stick to defelect some of the flack from the marriage and overseas adoption ban, he hasnt actually come out with the legislation for it yet. The super changes remain all talk at the moment - changes he has resisted consistently for the past 8 years.

As for adoption, laws on adoption of australian children is the domain of states and territories, only two of which currently allow gay couples to adopt (ACT and WA).

[GreenPartyVoter]

24. That's too bad. :^(

[Deja Q]

26. I could really make some inflammatory comments,

what with me being gay and all, but I won't... I'll leave that to the British sitcoms...