A Coalition government will give $200 vouchers to couples for counselling, in a relationships-strengthening policy that has been met with approval by the conservative pro-marriage Australian Christian Lobby, despite the fact that it will also be open to gay couples and de factos.
The Coalition took the scheme, a pet project of shadow Families Minister Kevin Andrews, as a policy to the 2010 election, but it has not yet appeared in any policy documents released by the Coalition during this year’s campaign.
Couples can use the scheme to access a range of counselling services, including conflict resolution, financial management and parenting skills that are run by pre-approved agencies.
Engaged couples can register for pre-marital counselling.
On Tuesday a gay and lesbian issues website raised the policy, which had been quoted by the Australian Christian Lobby as a policy for ”pre-marital counselling” for heterosexual couples.
But a source from Kevin Andrews’ office says the counselling cash-back scheme, which will be formally re-announced in the next week, is non-discriminatory and open to couples of all sexualities.
The program is a one-year pilot and is capped at 100,000 vouchers, meaning it costs $20 million to the budget bottom line.
Mr Andrews is a strong advocate of marriage and family values. In his 2012 book Maybe ‘I do’.
Modern Marriage and the Pursuit of Happiness, he opined that the greatest threat facing the Western world was not climate change or radical Islam, but ”the steady, but continuing breakdown of the essential structures of civil society – marriage, family and community”.
The Coalition’s party platform opposes change to the Marriage Act, but several members of its front-bench, including shadow communications minister Malcolm Turnbull and Senator Simon Birmingham, have spoken out in favour of same-sex marriage.
Asked at the National Press Club debate how much the policy would cost, shadow treasurer Joe Hockey said he did not have the exact number in front of him.
Managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby Lyle Shelton said the organisation “welcomes policy which strengthens marriage and contributes to increasing parenting skills”.
”This is in the interests of children at a time when Australia has record numbers of kids in out of home care.”
The ACL had no comment to make on same-sex couples eligibility for the program.
Australian Marriage Equality national convener, Rodney Croome said: ”It’s great that the Coalition wants to foster stability and longevity in same-sex relationships by extending them the same $200 counselling voucher that marrying opposite-sex couples will receive.”
”But a much cheaper, simpler and more effective way to achieve the same goal would be to allow same-sex couples to marry.
”The rights, respect and responsibilities that come with marriage will do more to strengthen same-sex relationships than any amount of counselling.
”The Coalition also needs to clarify how same-sex partners will qualify for the pre-nuptial counselling voucher when they’re not allowed to marry.”
Author: Jacqueline Maley and Damien Bright
Publication: The Age
Date: 28 August 2013