Governor-General intervenes to deny equal rights
Just yesterday I was writing about the powers of the Governor-General. Now the Queen's representative in Australia, Major General Michael Jeffery, has overturned laws passed in the ACT allowing same-sex civil unions (not quite marriage, but the closest thing we have in Australia so far).
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is a small region in the bottom right-hand corner of Australia. Rather like the District of Columbia in the United States, it was set aside in the early 20th century as home to the national capital, Canberra. Its government is about the size of a municipal government and has lesser powers than a fully-fledged Australian state. Since Labor leader Jon Stanhope became Chief Minister in 2001, exciting things have been happening in the ACT, including the passage the first bill of human rights anywhere in Australia.
Now the federal government has moved to reign in this progressive oasis — ironically, the seat of a federal government of unprecedented conservatism. Federal Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, who met with Jeffery today, claims the Civil Unions Act 2006 is now 'disallowed', effective today. He also claims the ACT was attempting to act outside its powers as an Australian Territory.
Same-sex marriage has never been recognised in Australia. None the less, in 2004 the Howard Government went to the trouble of making this non-recognition explicit in the text of the Marriage Act. The Australian Labor Party did nothing to oppose the amendment. One has to wonder what or who is behind this apparent homophobia in parliament. A powerful lobby group, perhaps?
Does it make any sense for the Queen's representative to oppose same-sex unions in Australia when she herself has not done so in the UK?
It is with shame that I hold my head down with what the Federal Government has just done. The Prime Minister and Government are supposed to represent ALL Australians, yet their actions are clearly homophobic and pampering to the rightwing elements within society.
SHAME MR HOWARD SHAME
But, lest he forgets, we – the people of Australia – voted him in, and we shall vote him out.
[…] A little bit of human rights history was made in south-eastern Australia yesterday when the parliament of Victoria passed laws protecting civil and political rights. The Australian Capital Territory has had a Human Rights Act since 2004, but this is the first major jurisdiction in Australia, the first state, to pass human rights legislation. Western Australia is likely to follow. […]
Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Bob Brown says the ACT should be allowed to make own laws. He has introduced a bill into Parliament to remove the Federal Government’s powers to overturn laws in the ACT. Says Dr Brown:
“This is not a complicated matter. This is simply two things: One, honouring the constitution of this country, second, honouring democracy as practiced by people wherever they are in this country — be it in the ACT or anywhere else.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1741430.htm