Page 3560 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 22 October 2013
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this has been permitted in the territory and the first time it has been permitted in Australia. When you think about it, this is really a straightforward law expressing something that should be clear already. It simply says that love is love, and the public and formal commitment of love is something that cannot, and should not be, restrained.
Today the ACT, through the vote of this Assembly, says that we are a place that cares about people, cares about their human rights and cares about equality and fairness. To all the people over all the years who have waited for this day, congratulations. Congratulations to all the community champions who have never given up fighting for this cause, many of whom are here today to celebrate. Congratulations to all the couples who have wanted to formalise their love through marriage but have been denied that opportunity. Now you can undertake the ceremony and celebration of marriage in the same way as other citizens without a barrier that is unfair and discriminatory. And congratulations to all the other people of the ACT and Australia who support marriage equality, even though they are not personally impacted, but who believe in fairness and equality and want the laws of the country and the territory to embody these values. Today we all have cause for celebration.
Greens all over the country will be celebrating too. The Greens have a long and proud history of standing up for gay and lesbian Australians and advancing equality. It was 17 years ago that former Greens leader Bob Brown became the first openly gay member of the parliament of Australia. In 1997 the current Greens leader, Christine Milne, who is here today to celebrate with us, achieved reform in Tasmania to decriminalise homosexuality. That was only in 1997. Greens senators such as Kerry Nettle and Sarah Hanson-Young have introduced legislation in the federal parliament to try and achieve marriage equality. The Greens have led attempts at reform in state and territory parliaments across the country.
I know that all of the Greens MLAs from past ACT Assemblies were advocates for marriage equality and they are overjoyed that this reform is finally happening. The Marriage Equality Bill we are debating here today was included in the parliamentary agreement that the ACT Greens signed with the ACT Labor Party when we agreed to form government after the 2012 ACT election. Congratulations, and thank you to the members of the Labor Party for your work on and commitment to this issue.
Removing marriage discrimination is an issue that will have a deep and lasting effect on people’s lives. It is an issue that many feel ambivalent about until they know someone who is affected—perhaps a friend, a relative, a mother, a son. And as we bear witness to the strong, loving same-sex relationships around us, it becomes untenable to consider that same-sex couples do not have the same rights.
I would like to take some time to reflect on what this legislation means through the stories of some other Canberrans who have contacted me recently and who have shared their views on why this legislation is important. Kim says:
My mum ‘came out’ in 1974. She has a son, a daughter and a beautiful granddaughter. It would make me so happy to know that she would finally have the same rights, as I have, to marry. I have waited nearly 40 years and it’s about time.
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