Article item posted on Tuesday, November 24th 2009 at 9:51 pm

The Rudd government is set to follow – again -  in the footsteps of John Howard’s ultra conservative government.  Rudd and his administration are considering, we are told, overturning the recent legalization in the ACT of same gender marriages and rights.

The moral zealots are working overtime in Canberra pushing to see the gay and lesbian same sex union laws buried yet again.

This couldn’t happen if the ACT had the same standing as the Australian States – the responsibility and right to make binding laws on behalf of its citizens.  The ACT and the Northern Territory risk a Federal veto on any legislation a majority of parliamentarians may pass.  It’s way past time the territories were given the same constitutional standing State governments – and voters – expect and enjoy.

This disparity between territories and states means those living in the ACT and NT do not participate in or receive the same democratic freedoms the rest of Australia takes for granted.  This must change.  It will take a referendum to do it too.  Surely this is a referendum that would command a majority of votes in a majority of states, one Australia would pass.  The people in the territories are Australians too, after all.

Gay And Lesbian Rights

Naturally it follows, once the territories are given the same respect  – and recognition and autonomy – as the states, we will see laws such as for gay and lesbian marriages in the ACT proclaimed, out of the hands of the moralising minority that somehow manage to populate the federal parliament.

We’d see it taken out of the hands of the conservative crusaders who claim to be christians (none of this newfangled compassion nonsense) shuffling around the corridors of parliament pushing one eyed, “our size fits all”, depraved, dishonest and dissolute doctrines.

I suggest to the gay and lesbian rights movement that to achieve their goals, autonomy for the territories would be the vehicle they need to accelerate their freedoms.  This is common ground for their community and the heterosexual majority

This is a broader set of rights.  At the end of the day, we all win.

Scott Kane

Tags: Australian Democrats, Australian Greens, australian liberal party, australian states, australians, autonomy, blog, common ground, conservative government, conservatives, corridors, crusaders, democrat, democratic freedoms, democratic rights, democrats, disparity, doctrines, federal intervention, federal parliament, footsteps, gay and lesbian marriages, gay and lesbian rights movement, heterosexual community, howard government, john howard, kevin rudd, labor government, labour party, lesbian rights, lesbian unions, liberal party, lobbyists, moral minority, moralist, parliamentarians, political thought, politics, referendums, rudd, scott kane, sectional interests, self interest, senate, senator, sex union, socialists, sound foundations, state governments, veto, victorians, working overtime, zealots

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