The Federal Government has had a gauntlet thrown down before it by South Australian state MP, Ian Hunter, who has applied for no-impediment to wed documentation so that he his partner can marry.
In June, Prime Minister Julia Gillard maintained certificates of no impediment to wed (CNIs) would not be provided to same-sex couples, claiming that to do so would be in breach of the Marriage Act
However Hunter told the SA Legislative Council today, “The [Federal] government’s interpretation of the purpose of CNIs is incorrect.”
“CNIs are not designed to validate overseas marriages, whether these marriages be between heterosexuals or homosexuals. CNIs do not confer any recognition of the legality of a marriage under Australian law, nor do they promise to confer a mutual recognition of marriages carried out overseas. Countries such as the Netherlands and Spain, which allow the same-sex marriage of Australian citizens, have no expectation that those marriages will be recognised in Australia.
For the full article, click here