Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner wrong to say same-sex marriage is a human right

Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner is wrong to say that same-sex marriage is a human right said Mr Guy Barnett, spokesperson for the Save Marriage Coalition today.

“Robin Banks Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner says same-sex marriage is consistent with our international human rights obligations (Examiner 21 September 2012) but this view has recently been shot down by the European Court of Human Rights. The court held same-sex marriage was not a human right.

She does not seem to be aware that only 12 of the world’s 200 countries have legalised same-sex marriage. If it was a human right then most of the world’s countries would have legalised same-sex marriage by now. She is clearly talking out of her hat, he said. Gay lobby activists often say ‘we should catch up with the rest of the world’ but a little more than 5% of the world’s countries have legalised same-sex marriage. Who should be catching up to who.

The Anti-Discrimination Commissioner’s push for same-sex marriage legislation in Tasmania is in conflict with federal law. The federal parliament overwhelmingly defeated same-sex marriage legislation last week. She says we should be seeking same-sex marriage in federal law. She is clearly thumbing her nose to our federal Parliament and our written law which says marriage is between a man and woman. The Anti-Discrimination Commissioner is acting as a law unto herself, he said.

The Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner should come clean and advise if churches schools and businesses will be targeted by her if the Same-Sex Marriage Bill passes the Legislative Council this week. For example will church ministers be forced to marry same-sex couples if this law applies?

These same questions need to be answered by the proponents of this flawed legislation, said Mr Guy Barnett, spokesperson for the Save Marriage Coalition.