QLD civil unions bill introduced tonight
Queensland Deputy Premier and Treasurer Andrew Fraser has called on the Queensland Opposition to allow its members a conscience vote on a bill to legalise civil unions under state law.
Queensland currently has no state-wide relationship recognition scheme for same-sex couples, making it difficult for couples to prove their relationship in emergencies.
Fraser, a supporter of same-sex marriage under federal law, told the Parliament he intends to introduce the bill today.
鈥淒espite the wishes or ignorance of some – whether blissful or baleful – humans have been loving each other in many different ways for centuries. What has changed is society’s recognition of the breadth of human relationships,” Fraser said.
鈥淢arriage has long been elevated amongst all other relationships in our society and its sanctity is held dear to many. But beyond the traditional legal recognition of the union of a man and a wife in the Christian tradition, others have been involved in human relationships of companionship and devotion that are not able to be accommodated as a marriage under the laws of this nation.
鈥淢ore recently parliaments – this one included – have undertaken legislative projects to recognise the fact of human relationships between two women, and two men, as equal in law as to the fact of relationships between men and women. ”
Fraser then called on the Opposition to allow a free vote.
鈥淚 recognise that for each MP, as indeed for each person we represent in this place, that this will be a matter for their conscience, through their own conceptions of human rights, and their moral, ethical and faith-based convictions.
鈥淚 implore the hierarchy of the Opposition to recognise this and provide for individuals to be given a vote of their own free will … We should – in a civil society – not live a fiction through our laws. Our laws should accept the truth of human relationships.鈥�
Queensland Liberal National Party (LNP) leader Campbell Newman is on the record as a supporter of same-sex marriage, but he has not indicated whether he will allow his colleagues a free vote on Fraser’s private member’s bill.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has also today posted a video on YouTube outlining her support for the civil unions bill.
Debate on the bill is expected to begin on the bill at around 7.30 tonight.
A live feed from inside the Parliament can be found at
It is not politically correct, but THOSE countries who have introduced civil unions have paved the way for Marriage Equality to be introduced with INCREASED public and community support in those countries! Time will tell, whether the campaign and those leading it, will be found to be a success or found wanting. Australia is a conservative country, with well organised and funded conservative forces. It seems that some are on a kamikaze mission, with either Marriage Equality or zilch! With Tony Abbott’s reign fast approaching, the result could be zilch for a decade or more!
There have been some very astute people in other countries who have been very successful at introducing civil unions, especially where the Church is very powerful and influential. If Marriage Equality is not introduced in the term of the current Government, it will not happen in Australia for the foreseeable future.
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This civil unions “stunt” in QLD seems designed to take pressure off Julia Gillard to comply with the wishes of the growing majority of Australians who support federal reform to undo the abominable discriminatory amendments to the Marriage Act by the Howard government (with the support of Labor) in 2004.
Separate is not equal. State-based civil union are a distraction from real equality – the right of same-gender couples to marry. Countries that introduced civil unions have realised this and begun moving towards marriage equality, including the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government in the UK.