Comments on: PM’s conscience won’t be clear

By: davo

davo — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:29:56 +0000

Thanks for a great article Scott.

By: ACT backs marriage equality | Star Online

ACT backs marriage equality | Star Online — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:18:39 +0000

[…] OPINION: PM’s conscience won’t be clear […]

By: Lewis

Lewis — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:31:14 +0000

Hosting the first African-American President of the US, the first Female PM of Australia, an openly atheist living in a de facto, manoeuvres to keep same sex families and their children in the back of the bus. PM Gillard, which hasn’t met the activists for the dinner paid for, colludes with extremist sects like Opus Dei and the Australian Christian Loonies, to shut down legitimate debate. To silence half the right faction and the entire left faction. To disdain state convention resolutions and opinion polls. Just to keep hurting, segregating, discriminating, humiliating and denying fellow taxpayers equal civil rights. Julia, Pres Obama says his views are rapidly evolving regarding same sex marriage. Are yours? For like segregation in schools, segregation at the marriage registry hurts… we shall overcome … Advance Australia FAIR …

By: Baz

Baz — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:40:20 +0000

Oh the irony WayneD. There’s nothing illegal about your friends relationship but here certainly is in their failure to register as a couple with Centrelink. And those lobbying for same-sex marriage also pushed for the Centrelink changes. Equality at any cost. You can bet none of them are relying on a pension. Apart from commonsense, what are they sacrificing for their cause?
Furthermore, do you ever hear heterosexuals say their defacto relationships are ‘illegal’ or ‘invalid’? If this is about equality then how about we try an attitude to equal theirs.

PS, I hope your friends don’t get caught.

By: Wayne D

Wayne D — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:49:52 +0000

This is why some friends of mine who are on benefits choose not to declare their relationship to Centrelink. And I support them on it – if the government wants them to declare their relationships (and lose $400 a fortnight) the government can legalise their relationships.

By: Martin

Martin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 01:53:53 +0000

Thank you for writing this article.
My partner and I have been together 26 years, We did have a civil union here in Australia, We did it firstly at the British consulate in front of very close family and a few friend’s. Then in a restaurant on the same day we re-did our vow’s in front of 150 work colleagues, friend’s and family.
At the second venue-We were asked to cover the windows on the main street as it “may upset ordinary people”
I am not now or ever have been ashamed of who I am and neither is my partner. So we refused!
We too are in full time employment and work very hard and pay all our taxes and bill’s on time, We donate and volunteer with charities but we are not considered to be “Normal” enough to get married to the person that we love. I have spent most of my life with my partner-We are totally monogamous and Totally in love–But that doesn’t seem to matter. But the Bogon who lives two door’s away is on his 7th marriage and has 16 children to different women. Thats allowed! We pay for his kid’s.
Wake up Ms Gillard- Its the 21st century not the damn dark ages!!!

By: Sunny Shamrock

Sunny Shamrock — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 01:44:48 +0000

The problem with Gillard’s position is she and her cohorts expect us to give equal weight to personal opinion and good policy. I don’t really care what Gillard’s personal views on marriage are. She is entitled to any view she wants but when it come to implementing Labor Policy she should do all that is possible to make sure the collective wishes of the Labor Party are put forward. If she can’t do that she should join another Party or start her own. You cannot be a Labor representative, let alone leader and pursue an anti equality agenda.

By: cody fitzgerald

cody fitzgerald — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 01:08:49 +0000

Honestly, I don’t know how Ms Gillard can sleep at night! She is absolutely irrevocably hypocritical on this basic issue of human rights. How dare she impose her own blinkered and outdated views on marriage while denying the clear majority of public opinion in this and many other free-thinking countries around the world! How dare she deny this basic human right to decent tax-paying citizens of her own country. How dare she deny and oppose the Declaration of Human Rights article on this equality issue? She is utterly devoid of compassion and has become a puppet of the right wing religious extremists – unbelievable! Sleep well Julia.

By: DavidB

DavidB — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:59:02 +0000

Thank you Scott Abrahams for this excellent opinion piece. It corresponds exactly with my own views on the way our government is prepared to take all it can from the LGBTI community without acknowledging the validity of our relationships. We don’t have any problems accepting our responsibilities as citizens of this country and it is criminal that the government does not accept that we should be treated in the same way as the rest of society.