Updated December 2007

(14/06/07 Article: Gay Adoption Divides Community by Andrea Hayward & Nicholas Perpitch for Perth Now)

THE landmark adoption of a boy by two gay men in Western Australia has split the community over children's rights and adoption by same sex couples.

The adoption by two men of a stranger's child is believed to be a first for Australia and has been hailed as "groundbreaking'' by the WA government and gay rights groups.

...the state opposition and a Christian lobby group say the rights of the child have been ignored. The adoption follows changes to the state's adoption act in 2002, allowing same sex couples to adopt children.

WA Attorney-General Jim McGinty, who instigated the laws, said the adoption was a major breakthrough ... "The only consideration when it comes to adoption is the best interests of the child,'' Mr McGinty said.

... WA Liberal MP Matt Birney said the government was pandering to minority groups. "This shouldn't have been about the rights of gay couples, it should be about the rights of a child to have the influence of a mother and father,'' Mr Birney said.

Australian Christian Lobby managing director Jim Wallace echoed Mr Birney's sentiments, saying WA's adoption laws, and similar legislation in the ACT, made children commodities.

"We think the WA and ACT laws that allow gay adoption are dismissive of the children's rights,'' Mr Wallace said. "They are competing against thousands of people to adopt and it is making children commodities."From a Christian point of view the child is better off with a family, and a family is natural with a mother and a father.''

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,21905042-2761,00.html

Australian PM slams gay adoption

(8/3/2004 0 BBC Asia Pacific News) | Australian Prime Minister John Howard has condemned the country's first law allowing gay couples to adopt.

Mr Howard said the new ruling, made by the government of the Australian Capital Territory last month, showed the dangers of "political correctness".

...Mr Howard described himself as a social conservative, saying he was against gay adoption and gay marriage.

"I think there are certain benchmark institutions and arrangements in our society that you don't muck around with," Mr Howard told Sydney radio station 2UE.

"Children ideally should be brought up by a mother and a father who are married," he added.

The Labor-led local government of the ACT adopted a bill of rights for the territory last week, which included the right for same-sex couples to adopt.

I think the idea of the ACT having a bill of rights is ridiculous," Mr Howard said in response to the decision.

"If you're going to have things like that, they should be done on a nationwide basis. This is political correctness inside the Labor Party parading itself for all the world to see."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3542369.stm