Australia Firm On Gay Marriage Ban - Prime Minister
SYDNEY (AFP)--Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Wednesday said Australia's ban on
gay marriage would remain, despite moves within his center-left Labor Party to
have it overturned.
Rudd, who considers himself a moderate Christian, won the 2007 election on a
platform that supported the former conservative government's legal definition of
marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
Rudd said his government's position remained unchanged amid media speculation
that he would face a groundswell of support for same-sex marriage at Labor's
national conference, due to begin in Sydney on Thursday.
"We are consistent with the policy we took to the last election," he told
public broadcaster ABC.
The issue was thrown into the spotlight this week, when the Labor Party in
Tasmania state voted for the Marriage Act to be amended to allow for same-sex
unions.
Rudd stood by his election plank, which banned same-sex marriage but endorsed
a national "relationships register," provided it didn't "mimic" marriage or
undermine existing laws.
"I fully respect the integrity of other same-sex relationships...but in terms
of the policy, it's a matter to which we have been committed for some time,"
Rudd said.
"I fully accept it's a matter of controversy, and there'll be debate, and
there should be. This is an open society where we can debate and discuss these
matters."
Rudd said his government had moved rapidly to remove the "other
discriminations" in national law against same-sex couples in areas such as
pensions, tax and employment.
A recent poll suggested up to 60% of Australians support gay marriage, and the
statistics bureau in May announced it would count same-sex couples who declared
themselves married in the national census.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
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