AUSTRALIAN MARRIAGE EQUALITY
Media Release
Monday April 22nd
Marriage equality advocates have given the thumbs up to Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus’s, call for a vote on marriage equality before the election, but say the Parliament should remove the ban on the recognition of overseas same-sex marriages should the vote fail.
Yesterday, Mr Dreyfuss called for a vote before the election but dismissed a Green push to have overseas same-sex marriages recognised saying Labor has already removed impediments to same-sex couples marrying overseas.
Australian Marriage Equality national convener, Rodney Croome, said,
“A marriage equality vote before the election will allow those Labor MPs who have shifted their position in recent months to support reform, and provide an opportunity for the Coalition party-room to endorse a conscience vote before the election.”
“With marriage equality in New Zealand, most Australians now see reform as inevitable here too, so rather than drag the debate out unnecessarily let’s get on and do it.”
But Mr Croome added that if the vote fails or does not occur, Parliament should pass the Greens’ Bill.
“It is a slap in the face to same-sex couples married overseas, and to the countries in which they are married, for Australia not to respect these marriages.”
“If Labor is prepared to remove impediments to same-sex couples marrying overseas, it should be prepared to recognise these marriages in Australian law.”
In February this year, former Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon, removed a ban on same-sex couples receiving the Australian Government documents they need to marry in some other countries.
For a report on Mr Dreyfus’s comments, click here.
For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.