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DrewI am a thirty something married gay boy living in Sydney, almost on top of the gay scene but not in it! Why Sometimes blue?, because I love blue, but also I am sometimes blue :)
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Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Will they or won't they?

The Federal Cabinet will today debate legislation that could seek to understand whether same-sex couples should have the same legal and financial rights as heterosexual couples.

Only a handful of members of the Liberal / Coalition have been pushing this, Warren Entsch who seems to have championed the gay equality issue from the outset and supported by Joe Hockey, Brendan Nelson, Nick Minchin and Philip Ruddock.

The most interesting and obviously vote hungry is Malcolm Turnbull the Federal member for wentworth, who is in danger of losing his seat due to a redistribution of areas which now includes areas such as Darlinghurst, East Sydney, Waterloo etc which all have a very high proportion of gay constituents.

The debate in cabinet will fail or pass based very much on Howard's views, and thus far the Prime Minister has steadfastly refused to offer any form of equality for same sex partners.

But being an election year this could be an interesting debate and outcome. Whilst the religious right are furious at even the thought of equality for same sex relationships and equate it with same sex marriage (which it is not), by pushing the legislation forward it defuses the argument that the Liberal Coalition is inherently homophobic.

So it's an interesting challenge - Does the government potentially alienate the religious right, or do they try and be seen to be "progressive" and socially aware?

The last time this Government offered something to same sex partners was in 2004 when they introduced legislation to ensure marriage was defined in law "as a union between one man and one women", tacking on superannuation rights for same sex partners.

The problem was whilst the marriage definition was passed and then made not law the superannuation side was never actually ratified into law.

So even if the cabinet does say yes we will seek to provide the same financial and legal equality for same sex couples this does not mean they will actually do anything more than give lip service to the actual mechanics.

Personally regardless of what actually happens today in cabinet this does not change my view that I am ideologically opposed to what this Government does and believes in.

source SMH

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1 Comments:

At Wed Aug 22, 03:09:00 PM EST, Blogger Sam said...

I thought this might be on the cards when the adoption ban was floated again - 'softening the blow', they no doubt think.

Perhaps realising this election could literally come down to a couple of seats, they're finally realising they need to give poor old Malcolm some shielding from all the extra furious poofs now living in his electorate.

As you say though, far too little, far far too late.

 

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