Page 3308 - Week 12 - Thursday, 19 November 1992

APPENDIX 2:

(Incorporated in Hansard on 18 November 1992 at page 3231)

THE BILL ALSO ADOPTS A FLEXIBLE APPROACH CONSISTENT WITH

CHANGING COMMUNITY VALUES. FOR EXAMPLE, PROVISIONS ARE

INCLUDED TO ALLOW FOR THE ADOPTION OF CHILDREN BY DEFACTO

COUPLES, PROVIDED THEY HAVE. BEEN LIVING IN A STABLE

HETEROSEXUAL RELATIONSHIP FOR NOT LESS THAN THREE YEARS AND

DEMONSTRATE A LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO THAT RELATIONSHIP.

IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE A.C.T. COMMUNITY WOULD NOT BE

PREPARED TO ACCEPT THE PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN FOR ADOPTION

WITH HOMOSEXUAL COUPLES. IT WOULD BE MY INTENTION TO SEEK A

PERMANENT EXEMPTION FOR THE BILL IN THE DISCRIMINATION ACT.

SINGLE PERSONS MAY ALSO BE ABLE TO ADOPT UNDER THIS

LEGISLATION IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THE COURT CONSIDERS IT

APPROPRIATE, IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD, AND AFTER

CONSIDERING THE WISHES OF THE RELINQUISHING PARENT OR

PARENTS.

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