May 4, 2008

ACL welcomes Federal intervention to fulfil election promise to protect marriage

The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) today commended Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Federal Attorney General Robert McClelland on their intervention with the ACT Stanhope Government, which has seen agreement reached to remove aspects of the ACT civil partnerships legislation which, among other things, would have mimicked marriage or extended its reach to minors.

“While it is a great shame that it took the intervention by Federal Labor, with all the diversion of time and energy that takes for both governments, we understand from ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell’s announcement today that this legislation is now back to being pretty much consistent with the Tasmanian model of relationships registers, as we originally asked for,” said ACL Managing Director Jim Wallace.

“In keeping with this model, we would expect that it does not include an official ceremony or celebrant, does not apply to interstate residents, and does not involve marriage-like concepts and terminology.”

The Lobby said the Federal Government’s intervention appears to have stopped a clear agenda by the homosexual lobby to not only create a platform from which to redefine marriage, but also to create gay and lesbian relationships for minors.

“The general public, and certainly parents, could not have supported Mr Stanhope’s intention to extend his civil partnerships to 16 year olds,” said Mr Wallace.

“This was never an issue of rights or access to entitlements as it was portrayed by Mr Stanhope,” said Mr. Wallace. “He had already removed barriers to access to those.

“We are very grateful for the intervention of Mr Rudd and Mr McClelland. They appear to have honoured a pre-election commitment in the most difficult of circumstances and I think the vast majority of Christians will be very appreciative of that, and acknowledge the particular strength of character and integrity it shows in the face of Mr Stanhope’s intransigence,” said Mr. Wallace.

Media Contact: Glynis Quinlan on 0408 875 979