The Marriage Wars. Croome’s call

Media Release
Monday February 21st 2011
•TONY ABBOTT PRESENTED WITH 2500 LETTERS DEMANDING FREE VOTE ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY

Australian marriage equality advocates have stepped-up their campaign to meet Labor Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, following a meeting between equality supporters and conservative Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, which saw Mr Abbott presented with 2,500 letters demanding he allow the Opposition a conscience vote on marriage equality.

On Friday Mr Abbott met Geoff Thomas, a Vietnam Veteran and owner of a small plumbing business, whose nationally-televised question to Abbott about marriage equality during last year’s federal election shot the issue to the centre of Australian political debate.

Mr Thomas, accompanied by his gay son Nathan who presented Mr Abbott with the 2,500 letters, described the Opposition Leader as “open” and believes he may grant the conservative Liberal / National Party Coalition a conscience vote.

“What he said was if the majority of people in the Liberal Party wanted a conscience vote he would consider it,” Mr Thomas said.

“I got to tell you he gave us a very reasoned amount of time and I think he was impressed with what we had to say. My reading of it was that it was a very successful meeting.”

Geoff Thomas said he had met with other Coalition frontbenchers who had shown less respect for his position.

“When (Nationals leader) Warren Truss met us he just lectured us about how we ought to behave,” Mr Thomas said.

Australian Marriage Equality National Convener, Alex Greenwich, said he will now write to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who has so far refused to meet equality advocates, seeking a meeting to discuss the urgency of reform.

“We want to impress on the Prime Minister that this is not a boutique issue that can wait till she deals with everything else, but an urgent human rights reform that cannot wait any longer.”

Like Mr Abbott, Ms Gillard opposes marriage equality but has promised that the Labor Party’s policy will be reviewed at the Party’s National Conference at the end of the year.

Despite receiving the 2,500 letters, Mr Abbott’s office played down the possibility that the Coalition’s policy will change soon and told the Australian: “There was a candid discussion with Nathan and Geoff Thomas in which Mr Abbott restated that the Coalition’s policy is to oppose gay marriage and that it is Coalition policy not to have a conscience vote on the issue,” a spokesperson said.

Media Release
Tuesday February 22nd 2011

“The SDA is in the very embarrassing position of denying the rights of the workers it represents while an employer is recognising these rights.”
Alex Greenwich, National Convener, AME

David Jones has become the latest major Australian employer to recognise the same-sex marriages of its employees, despite continued opposition to marriage equality from the union representing a large number of its employees.

The CEO of David Jones, Paul Zahra, this morning confirmed David Jones’ policy saying, “David Jones does recognise a diverse workforce and this includes same-sex marriages…Our HR policies and procedures are applied universally and are inclusive of all employees”.

The union that represents many David Jones employees, the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association or SDA, which has a seat on the Labor Party National Executive, has been an outspoken opponent of marriage equality.

In November SDA National Secretary, Joe de Bruyn, said, “we all know that marriage is between a man and a woman not just because that is what the definition of the Marriage Act says but simply because this has been the way that it has been in the existence of the human race.”

National Convener of Australian Marriage Equality, Alex Greenwich, welcomed David Jones’ decision.

“DJ’s is showing respect to the company’s gay and lesbian staff who have gone to the trouble of marrying overseas.”

“It’s stance is also a direct challenge to a union that is set to use their votes at the ALP National Conference to block the rights of its members.”

“The SDA is in the very embarrassing position of denying the rights of the workers it represents while an employer is recognising these rights.”

David Jones joins a growing list of corporations that recognise the same-sex marriages of staff members. The list includes ANZ, Westpac, Qantas, Telstra, the Commonwealth Bank, ING, Seek and IBM.

Earlier this month rank and file members of the SDA sought to challenge the Union’s position against marriage equality in a meeting in Brisbane.

Senator Guy Barnett: Petition Launched in Support of Marriage

Friday, 4 February 2011

A petition has today been launched nationally calling on the Senate to support the definition of marriage as currently contained in the Marriage Act (1961), Tasmanian Liberal Senator Guy Barnett said.

“This petition allows members of the community to send a message that marriage is worthy of protection and support,” said Senator Barnett.

The petition was introduced in response to the motion moved by Greens Member Adam Bandt in late 2010, seeking feedback from the community on same-sex marriage.

“Marriage is defined in the Marriage Act (1961) as ‘… the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.’

“This definition was added to the Act in 2004 and supported by both houses of Federal Parliament with bipartisan support. It was again affirmed by Parliament in a vote in early 2010.

“Marriage is one of the great institutions on which our society is built and I will continue the fight to protect this sacred union,” said Senator Barnett.

Senator Barnett launched the petition at today’s Endeavour Forum in Melbourne where he was guest speaker on the topic ‘In Defence of Marriage.’
11-02-04-Marriage-Petition.pdf

http://www.guybarnett.com/Pages/article.aspx?ID=767

TASMANIAN GAY AND LESBIAN RIGHTS GROUP

BARTLETT LAW REFORM AGENDA WELCOMED
CHILDS’ BASHING HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR ANTI-HATE LAW

Tasmanian gay activists have welcomed the progressive law reform agenda announced yesterday by new state Attorney-General, David Bartlett, but say it must also include laws against hate crime.

The call follows the bashing in Hobart on Sunday of celebrity musician and X-factor winner, Altiyan Childs, who was taunted by his bashers as a “dirty faggot”.

“Mr Bartlett is to be applauded for proposing reform in areas like surrogacy and anti-discrimination, but the Government must also clamp down on hate-crime with tougher criminal penalties.”

“Attacks motivated by hatred are too common and too vicious to be dismissed as random loutishness.”

The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute is currently conducting an inquiry into laws against racial hatred which Mr Croome said must be extended to take in other forms of hate crime.

For more on the Altiyan Childs bashing see:
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/02/24/209491_tasmania-news.html

Australian Marriage Equality National Convener, Alex Greenwich

– GILLARD URGED TO FOLLOW OBAMA’S LEAD ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY
– ADVOCATES CALL FOR IMMEDIATE GOV’T ACTION

Australian marriage equality advocates have called on Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to follow Barack Obama’s lead and soften her Government’s opposition to same-sex marriages.

Australian Marriage Equality National Convener, Alex Greenwich, welcomed the decision by President Obama not to defend a US statute which bars the recognition of state same-sex marriages in federal law, saying it puts pressure on Julia Gillard to also move forward on the issue.

“We acknowledge that the Prime Minister wants to have a fully-fledged debate on marriage equality at the ALP National Conference later this year, but there’s several things she can do right now to show she supports equality for all Australians”, Mr Greenwich said.

“These include removing the bureaucratic barriers to gay and lesbian Australians marrying overseas, launching a Law Reform Commission inquiry into the legal aspects of marriage equality, and meeting proponents of reform so we can put our case to her directly.”

In 2009, a tri-partitite Senate inquiry into marriage equality recommended a Law Reform Commission inquiry and an end to the ban on providing gay and lesbian Australians with the documents they need to marry overseas.

Last week, proponents of reform met with Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott.