SA Premier Jay Weatherill apologises to Marco Bulmer-Rizzi, UK widower whose husband was not recognised
Image: David and Marco Bulmer-Rizzi were on their honeymoon in Australia when David (left) died in a tragic accident. (Photo: Facebook)
SOUTH Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has telephoned to personally apologise to the UK widower whose husband died in Adelaide but their same-sex marriage was not recognised.
[showads听ad=MREC] David Bulmer-Rizzi died in a tragic accident on Saturday, when he was not allowed to make medical decisions for his husband 鈥斕齟xcept for organ donation 鈥斕齛nd David was listed as “not married” on his death certificate.
The couple were honeymooning in Australia after marrying in Santorini in June last year.
Weatherill also confirmed Marco would听receive a new death certificate which will list David as married, once the appropriate legislation was passed in SA.
Marco told听听the Premier also asked him how he was treated by the police and听medical staff, with Marco telling Weatherill one police officer kept referring to David as his partner rather than husband.
The public reaction and support to their plight has been overwhelming and Marco believes David would have been proud.
“I don鈥檛 know if David would even believe it,” he told .
“The fact that through him maybe this is never going to happen to somebody else is such a good thing.鈥�
Weatherill told听听the family’s pain was caused by “senseless discrimination” and the SA Government planned to tackle the many parts of the state’s law that discriminated against LGBTI people.
“We introduced an initial bill to the Parliament last year to begin the removal of discrimination from South Australian legislation,” he said.
“We will introduce a further raft of legislation to the Parliament this year that will grapple with the more complex issues such as this.”
Marriage equality advocates have urged听the federal government to follow South Australia’s lead by recognising overseas same-sex marriages.”
Ever more Australian same-sex couples are marrying overseas because they can’t wait any longer for marriage equality in their home country,” Australian Marriage Equality national director听Rodney Croome said.
“It’s time the federal government stopped delaying and responded to the fact that thousands of its citizens are in legitimate but unrecognised marriages.”
Only听Tasmania, NSW and Queensland recognise overseas same-sex marriages as state civil partnerships with Victoria soon to follow.
Croome said that while civil partnerships did not exist in South Australia nor federally, the recognition of overseas same-sex marriages would be a simple matter of amending existing de facto partnership laws to declare that such a marriage is proof of the existence of a de facto partnership.
The federal Marriage Act explicitly听 prohibits any Australian government from recognising overseas same-sex marriages as marriages.
“Amendment of existing laws is a useful interim measure but the real, long-term solution to this problem is marriage equality at a national level,”听Croome said.
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I am very outraged that this has happened in Australia in 2016. I for one will be boycotting the federal election this year, because politicians on both sides ignore us for far too long, are corrupt and there real agenda is to encourage more wars in the Middle East to really help ISIS and destroy white people in Australia with massive immigration from Asia and turn this country into an Asian country like Indonesia. Currently polygamy is recognised in Australia through welfare and people know this and come here with there 100 wives and children to breed us out. That is there true official agenda. Spread the word Australia! Become a Republic today for our nations sake! Malcolm Turnbull should be in jail for money laundering in the Cayman Islands too!
I am deeply confused! Is in it the federal governments sole responsibility for marriage laws in Australia under section 51 of the 1901 Australian Constitution? What has this got to do with the 8 states and territories of Australia, they can can not pass laws on any marriage, remember the 2013 ACT High Court case?!
So very true! Australia’s legal system in 2016 is truly in a complete shambles and mess, thanks to “more money than cents” Abbott 2.0! This is exactly what happens when you have a federal Liberal party government, who is run by The Vatican and the ACL!
I am very confused, South Australia has had a Labor government for over 20 years I think. They had plenty of time to sort out over 140 South Australian statutes or laws that discriminate against LGBTI people. A recent SA report was released to the public showing 140 laws was a complete shock. A bill has been introduced to the SA Parliament that will only change guess what only 14 of these laws, what a fucking complete joke! I can understand that the adoption (under another review), surrogacy and IVF is controversial and will not pass SA Parliament, but let’s sort out abolishing the gay panic defence right now and let’s introduce a bill to allow civil unions should be a great start! We can fix 137 of these laws in 2016 straight away, come on South Australia! Even Queensland has civil partnerships scheme, the most conservative state in Australia! South Australia has an election sometime next year, they better get there ass into gear and pass these 137 reforms right now, before a Liberal party takeover of the SA Government – wins the SA state election!
We are truly a nation run by idiots! We the taxpayer allow Centrelink to give money to 44 terrorists and the Australian government still wants a continuation ban on all same-sex marriages. The government has certainly got it priorities all screwed up! The whole Australian government should be in jail for denying marriage rights to LGBTI people, getting Australia into $300 billion of debt, money laundering, funding terrorism and dealing with the proceeds of crime!
This law is very insulting to same-sex couples, who have gotten married overseas! I have found this doing research into Australian Marriage legislation and found this horrible draconian section:
MARRIAGE ACT 1961 – SECT 88EA
Certain unions are not marriages
A union solemnised in a foreign country between:
(a) a man and another man; or
(b) a woman and another woman;
must not be recognised as a marriage in Australia.
I have found this, because this theoretically allows same-sex marriage!
ACTS INTERPRETATION ACT 1901 – SECT 23
Rules as to gender and number
In any Act:
(a) words importing a gender include every other gender; and
(b) words in the singular number include the plural and words in the plural number include the singular.
I have been in a same-sex relationship for the past 16 years, and we are still not equal under the law! Typical Australian politicians (regardless of political party) only care about money, millions of dollars in donations from the ACL and elections, never ever gives a fuck about people in same-sex relationships! Well I am boycotting the federal election now, they never listen to us, only there very selfish selfs! I fell like starting my own politician party, called the “LGBTI Equality Party!”
That is an excellent idea! It is high time Australia had a LGBTI equality political party!
Come on Australia, lets join the rest of the western world and allow marriage equality! In 2016 we are still debating this, what a fucking joke! That 2004 Howard gay marriage ban has got to go, along with corrupt Malcolm turdface Turnbull! Vote 1 Labor at this federal election I beg you all!
Australia in 2016 has become North Korea! We are being lied too every day and have a very corrupt federal government, who is being run by a money-laundering criminal called Malcolm Turnbull!
This happens in 2016, what a joke! I am boycotting the federal election this year! There should be no prerequisite for SSM, what a total joke Australia has become!
There should be no referendum into SSM at the next federal election. Referendums are just plain wrong for a human right to get married!
We are just 5 politicians away from marriage equality remember. Hopefully about 10 politicians that oppose marriage equality, will retire and let some new blood in that supports marriage equality. We really need to pass marriage equality in the 45th federal Parliament hopefully!
Well I too will vote for the Greens this federal election. I have had enough of both labor and liberal parties screwing around on this SSM issue for far too long now in 2016! My own son is gay and I want equality for him right now! Stop pussyfooting around and get on with passing legislation that allows SSM! I want no referendum on this simple SSM issue. The only referendum I want, is an increase to the GST to 15 percent!
I am a gay Aussie as a business starter systems analyst currently working in London, UK. Well I will not be returing to Australia anytime soon. This is what happens when you elect the liberal party to run your government Australia! Nice going courtesy from Abbott 2.0!
Well I have noticed that Malcolm turdface Turnbull has said absolutely nothing, surprise surprise – he is gutless I must say for a prime minister! This why I vote Labor only every time there is an election!
Bill shorten has said nothing as well. Well I will be voting for the Greens this year!
I am totally embarrassed to be Australian! We let this happen in 2016, for shame!
Nice going Australia! You are a laughing stock!
I am totally embarrassed as a South Australian! This SSO article is incorrect, NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD and TAS already recognise overseas SSMs. Typical SSO can never get facts right. They missed out on the ACT and VIC on the list. Can I just remind the SSO how many states and territories there are in Australia, the answer is eight! Two territories and six states in Australia. Thank you. They must have monkeys editing at the SSO these days to lower the costs right down!
I want to help the SA Premier and the attorney-general of SA in drafting a Civil Union Bill 2016, so we can get instant recognition of overseas same-sex unions or marriages. The model will be based on the ACT civil union legislation. This would solve the problem straight away. This is 2016, why are we still debating this?
Paul, SA is not the only one. Both WA and NT have no recognition of overseas SSMs as well. Please get some facts!
Time to boycott South Australia, just like we did in Tasmania 20 years ago! Then they will be forced to change there laws real quick! It worked in Tasmania!
Boycotting can back-fire against our favour as well.