A BILL to have overseas same-sex marriages recognised in Australia will be put to the vote in the Senate by the Australian Greens before the end of June.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott had blocked a Greens bill to recognise same-sex marriage in Australia.
The Greens would therefore move a vote on a significant part of that proposed legislation, that would ensure legal recognition in Australia of marriages performed overseas, she told reporters in Sydney on Thursday.
Ms Hanson-Young said that when same-sex couples returned from being married in places like New York and elsewhere “they have to check their marriage at the customs gate” because it wasn’t recognised in Australia.
She said passage of the Overseas Marriages Recognition Bill would be a very important step towards equality for same-sex couples.
Same-sex marriage advocate and former Australian Medical Association head Kerryn Phelps, who married her partner Jackie Stricker-Phelps in New York, said the current situation created “a bureaucratic nightmare for same-sex couples”.
“Australian politicians are not listening to their population and it’s time that they did,” she said.
Ms Stricker-Phelps said a small number of politicians were holding back the progress of equality in Australia when countries like New Zealand had moved to recognise same-sex marriage.
“It’s disgraceful, it’s embarrassing to this country.”
Prof Phelps said legislation was changed in 2004 under the Howard government to specifically exclude same-sex couples married overseas from being recognised in Australia.
Australian Marriage Equality Convenor Rodney Croome welcomed the Greens bill, saying an increasing number of overseas countries were recognising same-sex marriage.
“We are disregarding those other countries’ laws, we are treating those countries with disrespect as well as treating couples who marry in those countries with disrespect.”
Mr Croome said that earlier this year the Australian government lifted a ban on the documents Australian same-sex couples needed to marry overseas.
“It makes no sense to allow Australian same-sex couples to marry in other countries but then to disregard those marriages when those couples return to Australia.”
A BILL to have overseas same-sex marriages recognised in Australia will be put to the vote in the Senate by the Australian Greens before the end of June.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott had blocked a Greens bill to recognise same-sex marriage in Australia.
The Greens would therefore move a vote on a significant part of that proposed legislation, that would ensure legal recognition in Australia of marriages performed overseas, she told reporters in Sydney on Thursday.
Ms Hanson-Young said that when same-sex couples returned from being married in places like New York and elsewhere “they have to check their marriage at the customs gate” because it wasn’t recognised in Australia.
She said passage of the Overseas Marriages Recognition Bill would be a very important step towards equality for same-sex couples.
Same-sex marriage advocate and former Australian Medical Association head Kerryn Phelps, who married her partner Jackie Stricker-Phelps in New York, said the current situation created “a bureaucratic nightmare for same-sex couples”.
“Australian politicians are not listening to their population and it’s time that they did,” she said.
Ms Stricker-Phelps said a small number of politicians were holding back the progress of equality in Australia when countries like New Zealand had moved to recognise same-sex marriage.
“It’s disgraceful, it’s embarrassing to this country.”
Prof Phelps said legislation was changed in 2004 under the Howard government to specifically exclude same-sex couples married overseas from being recognised in Australia.
Australian Marriage Equality Convenor Rodney Croome welcomed the Greens bill, saying an increasing number of overseas countries were recognising same-sex marriage.
“We are disregarding those other countries’ laws, we are treating those countries with disrespect as well as treating couples who marry in those countries with disrespect.”
Mr Croome said that earlier this year the Australian government lifted a ban on the documents Australian same-sex couples needed to marry overseas.
“It makes no sense to allow Australian same-sex couples to marry in other countries but then to disregard those marriages when those couples return to Australia.”
Author: news.com.au
Publication: news.com.au
Publication Date: June 6 2013