In January Aaron Minto of Adelaide sent this heart-felt plea to all federal politicians, explaining how Australia’s failure to allow same-sex couples to marry affects his whole family.
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I believe the Marriage Act should be amended to allow same-sex couples to marry.
During the last 5 years I have lived in eurpoe where I met and married my husband Oscar. Now I have had to come back to Australia to nurse my father through pancreatic cancer, I find a country that actively discriminates against me. My huband is a specialist nurse in HIV and communicable diseases, a skill so desperately needed in this country. He can also help in ways I can not in the care for my father, taking pressure off the hospitals and public purse – yet the law as it is discriminates against us and does not afford him the right to come to this country as my husband.
In Spain, because of our marriage, I am afforded every right as a fully fleged spanish citizen – not here – how this does not equate to direct discrimination I do not know.
This affects my family directly. It discriminates, it depresses and in this case, is preventing a top practitioner in a field that australia needs coming to the country. It is increasing the costs of my fathers care to the public purse and it damages the world wide perception of australia as a free land.
Please find it in your heart to support equality for all loving couples.
Aaron Minto