OPPONENTS of the legalisation of same-sex marriage have reiterated the Federal Government should be the only legislator on the matter.
NSW MP Greg Donnelly (pictured) warned “the battle over the meaning of marriage has clearly moved from the Commonwealth Parliament to state and territory legislatures”.
His comments came as debate in the NSW Parliament on a proposed bill to create a state-based same-sex marriage law opened on October 28.
He said the proposal was “fundamentally flawed” and asked whether Australians wanted “up to nine different laws governing marriage in Australia”.
“The proposal seems to sweep aside what the Commonwealth Parliament has done to create a clear and consistent set of laws that apply to marriage,” Mr Donnelly said.
“The Marriage Act was never intended to be a partial or qualified codification of Australian law relating to marriage. It was and is a national law for marriage in Australia.”
Australian Marriage Forum and the Australian Christian Lobby have welcomed the defeat of a same-sex marriage motion in Tasmania’s Parliament on October 29. AMF president Dr David van Gend also called for a national referendum on same-sex marriage.
“All Australians should receive a conscience vote on this proposed revolution in marriage and family, with its legislative creation of generations of motherless or fatherless children,” he said.
ACL’s Tasmanian director Mark Brown said the defeat of the same-sex marriage motion in the Tasmanian Upper House “should send a clear message that it’s time to move on from this tiresome debate”.
“This legislation was defeated in the parliament only last year. “This debate has become wearisome.
“It is a low-order priority for the majority of Australians and it is time to move on.
“There is no discrimination in Tasmanian law against same-sex couples – there is no need to redefine marriage.”
In the ACT, the Marriage Equality (Same-Sex) Bill 2013 passed nine votes to eight on October 22.
The Federal Government lodged its writ of summons against the ACT Government in the High Court, a day after the national capital’s Legislative Assembly’s vote.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said his Government’s challenge to the legislation was not about the morality of the issue despite his personal opposition to gay marriage. He also warned anyone planning to marry under the ACT’s new same-sex marriage laws to wait for the High Court to rule whether the legislation was valid.
