Amy McDonell, Canberra
In an effort to counter ACT Labor Chief Minister Jon Stanhope's proposed Civil Unions Bill 2006, which would give legal recognition to same-sex partnerships, Liberal MPs introduced their own bill on May 3. It proposes setting up a Tasmania-style relationship register for both same-sex and heterosexual partnerships.
ACT shadow attorney-general Bill Stefaniak told the ABC on May 3 that the Liberals' bill would "properly recognise loving and caring relationships", and would be consistent with the federal Marriage Act, which the Howard government amended in 2004 to limit marriage to heterosexual partnerships.
The Labor government's civil union legislation would provide both heterosexual and homosexual couples with the opportunity to obtain a legally recognised civil union with the same rights as a marriage under ACT law. This would enable same-sex couples to access a number of legal benefits not currently available to them.
On March 31, PM John Howard told Channel 10 that his government would move to veto the Stanhope bill so as to "support the special and traditional place of marriage as a heterosexual union for life of a man and a woman in Australian society". In this context, the Stanhope government has removed any reference to marriage from its bill.
In response to the ACT Liberals' attempt to introduce a relationship register rather than support the introduction of civil unions, Jimmy Aitken from Canberra's QueerAction told Green Left Weekly: "We want recognition in as many areas as heterosexual couples, and a relationship register just doesn't cut it."
Aitken helped organise a 200-strong march in support of Labor's bill on April 29. He said: "We have had people come from all over to support us here in Canberra. We are really happy with the community solidarity. Stefaniak's bill is a cop-out."
According to Stanhope's website: "Civil union differs from registration in that registration is simply evidence of a domestic relationship. Civil union is not only evidence of a domestic partnership, it creates that partnership."
Queer activists and their supporters are planning to continue the fight for equal rights for same-sex couples. A national day of action to demand the repeal of the federal ban on same-sex marriage is scheduled for August 13. For more information, email QueerAction at <queer_action@hotmail.com> or phone Community Action Against Homophobia on 0412 109 160 or 0438 637 037.
From Green Left Weekly, May 10, 2006.
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