Commit to ending hate, Libs told

TASMANIAN GAY AND LESBIAN RIGHTS GROUP

Tasmanian gay advocates have called on the Tasmanian Liberal Party to put forward constructive policies for ending prejudice, discrimination and hate crime against gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) Tasmanians.

The call comes in the wake of Launceston Liberal MP, Michael Ferguson’s angry response to claims by North West MP, Brenton Best, that the Tasmanian Family Institute that Ferguson founded incited hatred against GLBT people.

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said if the Liberal Party wants to shake off accusations of homophobia it must put forward a constructive policy for ending hatred.

“The community deserves to know if the Liberals support anti-prejudice programs in schools and criminal penalties for hate-motivated attacks, and what else they propose to reduce prejudice and hatred”, Mr Croome said.

“The Tasmanian Liberal Party has a long history of playing to anti-gay prejudice stretching from its strident opposition to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the 1990s, through its anti-gay and anti-transgender electoral advertising in the mid 2000s, right up to its recent opposition to same-sex surrogacy.”

“If it wants Tasmanians to take it seriously as a an alternative Government, the Liberal Party must draw a line under its past homophobic policies and develop the kind of constructive approach to GLBT issues we see from conservative parties in other states and in counties like the UK where Prime Minister, David Cameron, recently met with GLBT community leaders.”

In 2003, the Tasmanian Family Institute led a campaign against allowing same-sex couples to adopt.

For a news report regarding Mr Ferguson and the TFI visit: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/07/08/3264261.htm

Will Hodgman MP
Leader of the State Opposition
Friday 8 July, 2011

Statement on comments made by Brenton Best

I note today’s comments from the Premier that she will now talk to Mr Best and examine the so called ‘evidence’ that he used to assert that Michael Ferguson attended a hate rally on the North West coast.*

Mr Best has already had 24 hours to produce this so called evidence and has failed to do so.

Ms Giddings must demand that the so called ‘evidence’ is provided to her by the end of the day. If not, she must force Mr Best to apologise immediately and unequivocally.

This is a test of Ms Giddings’ leadership.

I also note the comments of GLBT spokesperson, Rodney Croome. I was pleased to have the opportunity to explain the Liberals’ anti-hate crimes policy to him in person this morning.

We took this policy to the 2010 election, and it remains our policy (policy attached).

* “I believe that Daniel Stanley may well have been assaulted as a result of the sort of hatred that has been championed by the likes of that member who visited the north-west coast to undertake that rally not so long ago”. (Brenton Best, Hansard, 7 July 2011)

AUSTRALIAN MARRIAGE EQUALITY

The Gillard Government is blocking the marriages of gay Australians in New York.

When New York state’s new equal marriage law takes effect on July 27th same-sex couples from other countries will be able to marry there if they provide a Certificate of Non-Impediment to Marriage (CNI) to show they are not already married in their home country.

But the Australian Government refuses to give such certificates to same-sex couples intending to marry overseas, a policy defended by Julia Gillard as recently as the 14th of June, 2011.

Australian Marriage Equality National Convener, Alex Greenwich, called the policy petty and mean-spirited.

“The Gillard Government’s policy of not allowing same-sex marriages in Australia forces same-sex couples to go overseas if they want to marry, but when they apply to marry in another country Julia Gillard is there saying “no” as well”, Mr Greenwich said.

“This means some couples miss out on entitlements and protections they can only receive overseas if they are married in a country that would otherwise regcognise their committment, and it causes endless hassles for couples who have planned their wedding only to find it can’t go ahead.”

In response to a question from Independent MP, Andrew Wilkie on June 14th Julia Gillard incorrectly stated that CNIs are issued to show if a marriage is recognised in Australia (details here), but the New York Marriage Registry clearly defines a CNI in the following way:

“A Certificate of Non-Impediment is an official Certification that the City Clerk’s Office has no information that would be an “impediment” to your getting a Marriage License in the City of New York.”

In 2009, a tri-partisan Senate inquiry condemned the policy of not issuing CNIs to same-sex couples and called for it be scrapped on the following basis:

“A decision by a sovereign nation to allow marriage between a couple of the same sex should be a matter for that nation, and not a matter against which Australia should throw up bureaucratic barriers.”

On Wednesday, openly-gay South Australian Labor State Upper House member, Ian Hunter, condemned the Gillard Government’s refusal to issue CNIs and revealed he and his partner have officially applied for a CNI to marry overseas. (Details here).

Yesterday in an interview with Sky News, Julia Gillard said she may not respect a motion at December’s National Labor Conference in favour of allowing same-sex marriages. (Details here)