[Greens-Media] Hanson-Young: Marriage Day should be celebration for all couples

[Clark, Gemma (Sen S. Hanson-Young)]

Thursday 13 August 2009

Marriage Day should be celebration for all couples

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says today's National Marriage Day
event in Canberra should expand its celebration to include supporting
equal marriage rights for all couples.

Parliament House's Great Hall this morning hosted a National Marriage
Day breakfast, on the fifth anniversary of the Howard Government's move,
with support of the Labor Opposition, to make the Marriage Act gender
specific and so ban same-sex marriages.

"Today's National Marriage Day event could have been a more inclusive
celebration by taking the commonsense step of supporting the rights of
all couples to marry," said Senator Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson
for Sexuality and Gender Identity.

"The Greens welcome the focus on marriage, as we believe it is something
that more people in loving, committed relationships should have the
right to enjoy."

Former Governor-General Michael Jeffery and his wife Marlena were named
as the inaugural National Marriage Day ambassadors, with Major-General
Jeffery stating this morning that marriage should remain as between a
man and a woman as this is "the appropriate definition" and that he
would "be loath to see it changed".

"Major-General Jeffery has shown he is out of touch with his assumption
that the majority of Australians agrees that marriage should remain a
union between a man and a woman," said Senator Hanson-Young.

"In fact, opinion polls are consistently showing that the majority of
Australians support the rights of same-sex couples to marry in this
country, or have their overseas marriages recognised."

Senator Hanson-Young said opposition to same-sex marriage on the basis
that marriage is currently a union only between a man and a woman
because that is the definition passed by the parliament was easily
challenged.

"The Australian Parliament currently has the opportunity to update that
definition, and catch up with other forward-thinking parliaments around
the world," she said.

"In June I introduced the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill to recognise
that all couples should enjoy the right to marry, and it is before the
parliament, ready to be debated.

"The Greens call on the Labor Party and Coalition to grant its senators
and members a conscience vote on this Bill, so that the true will of
those elected representatives is expressed.

"Labor and Liberal can no longer hide behind the lame excuse of the
community not being ready for same-sex marriages happening in Australia
- it's the parliament that needs to catch up with public understanding.

"The Greens hope that next National Marriage Day falls on a day where
all couples in this country can marry if they wish."

Media contact: Gemma Clark on 0427 604 760