The 2011 National Labor Women’s Conference has passed a resolution calling for “equal access to civil marriages, regardless of the gender of either partner”. The conference was attended by high profile ALP figures including Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Minister for Women Kate Eliis.
Australian Marriage Equality National Convener, Alex Greenwich, welcomed the resolution saying marriage equality is a part of a long tradition of social and legal reform championed by Labor Women.
“Marriage equality is about choice, fairness, and equality. These are all values Labor Women have advocated for decades”, Mr Greenwich said.
“This resolution will not only add volume to the call for marriage equality at the ALP National Conference, it will remind delegates that this issue goes to the heart of Labor values.”
The resolution, which was passed at the national conference in Brisbane last weekend (May 14-15), is included below and will go to the Labor Party’s National Policy Committee for consideration during the Party’s National Conference in December
News of the resolution breaks on the same day as ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher, publicly endorsed marriage equality (full report can be found here )
Several state Labor Conferences have also endorsed marriage equality, including Tasmania and Victoria in 2009 and South Australia in 2010.
For more information contact Alex Greenwich on 0421 316 335.
MOTION 3 MARRIAGE EQUALITY
‘That this National Labor Women’s Conference calls upon the Australian Labor Party, through both the National Conference and Federal Labor Party, to continue its commitment to the principles expressed in ss. 137 – 141 of Chapter 7 of the 2009 National Platform by amending both the National Platform and the Marriage Act (Cth) 1961 to allow for equal access to civil marriages, regardless of the gender of either partner.’ MOVED: Michele Lindsay, SECONDED: Jenny Atkinson, CARRIED