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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (4 December) . . Page.. 4635 ..
MRS CARNELL (continuing):
It has never stopped other members of the Assembly putting forward amendments. That is fine; it is not a problem. But there was nothing - just leaving some human beings, some babies, some children and their parents, out in the cold for doing something that at this moment is absolutely legal. They have complied with legislation that we passed, and now those opposite and the Greens are going to say, "Sorry; maybe we should not have done that; oops". It is just not good enough; it simply is not good enough.
Mr Speaker, I hope that members reconsider this. I think they need to reconsider it. A new Assembly can relook at the legislation; that is fine. But for those babies, for baby Jessica and for the babies that potentially will be born as a result of the pregnancies that I understand are out there right now, this legislation has to go through - it is that simple - otherwise we will disenfranchise some human beings. Certainly, change it next Assembly; go for it. But give people a chance, people that have followed our own legislation. Do not throw them out in the cold and do not let some children end up in a situation where they are simply in a legal void, living with their genetic parents who are not actually their legal parents, potentially forever. Ms Tucker said to me, "They could become guardians". Possibly they could; but that is not being a legal parent. We all know the difficulties that arise in that sort of situation. This, simply, is not appropriate for this Assembly. Certainly, change your mind; people do that all the time. I think it is appropriate to change your mind. But do not go down the path of throwing out in the cold people who have complied with the law that you passed. That is what this Assembly will be doing.
Question put:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
The Assembly voted -
AYES, 8 NOES, 8 Mrs Carnell Mr Corbell Mr Cornwell Ms Horodny Mr Hird Ms McRae Mr Humphries Mr Osborne Mr Kaine Ms Reilly Mrs Littlewood Ms Tucker Mr Moore Mr Whitecross Mr Stefaniak Mr WoodQuestion so resolved in the negative, in accordance with standing order 162.
MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, I rise under standing order 46. In the debate the Chief Minister suggested that one of the reasons the Labor Party opposed this Bill was that it automatically opposed Government proposals. That is simply not the case. The matter was very carefully considered on its merits.
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