Second push for same-sex marriage a waste of Parliament’s precious time

The reintroduction and possible second debate of the same-sex marriage Bill a waste of Parliament’s precious time and should be rejected said Mr Guy Barnett, Spokesperson for the Save Marriage Coalition today.

With the highest unemployment in Australia, the economy languishing, hospital waiting lists ballooning, and functional illiteracy the nation’s highest, surely there are other priorities. Why does the Green-Labor Government treat this issue as a top priority when it was debated comprehensively and defeated just 12 months ago?

There are no new arguments or evidence to warrant a further debate when the Constitution clearly states (section 51(21)) that marriage is a matter for the Federal Parliament. The Constitution has not changed.

We have just concluded a federal election where Labor and the Greens made same-sex marriage a front and centre issue. They know this is a federal matter and fought hard for change but were trounced. In Tasmania, Labor received its lowest primary vote in 100 years and the Greens vote halved. Don’t they get the message?

The South Australian Parliament voted down same-sex marriage for constitutional and other reasons in July and the NSW Committee of Inquiry confirmed that the issue was best dealt with in the Federal, not State, Parliament. The deliberate misrepresentation of this NSW report by same-sex marriage proponents is a major concern to us.

Nothing has changed to alter the vote in the State Parliament. It is most unusual and almost unprecedented to bring back the same Bill in the same Parliament.

If the Greens and Labor want to make this a state election issue then we will respond with vigour. The people have already sent a clear message at the federal level.

Same-sex marriage is only inevitable if one believes it to be.

“The Labor/Green government seems to be using our state as a social experiment at the expense of our economy. Parliament must get its priorities right if we have any chance of getting our economy back on track.

The report today that the Commonwealth Solicitor General believes the ACT push for same-sex marriage is likely to be unconstitutional is just further evidence that state-based marriage legislation is contrary to good law. One marriage law in one state and a different marriage law in another state would make our marriage laws a dog’s breakfast.

Same-sex marriage would deny a child either a mum or a dad. Both are important, Mr Barnett said.

Mr Guy Barnett, Spokesperson for the Save Marriage Coalition