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Another Australia Bill Granting Same-Sex Rights Passes Senate as Systematic Overhaul of Marriage Continues

By Kathleen Gilbert

CANBERRA, Australia, October 16, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Australian Senate has passed a bill that grants unmarried long-term couples, including homosexual couples, the same legal process provided to divorcing married couples. The bill must now be returned to the lower house for final approval. Homosexualist activists hailed the bill as the next step in the long-term overhaul of Australia's legislation to eliminate all distinctions between homosexual unions and married couples.

The latest Rudd Government legislation lets all unmarried couples access federal family law courts on property and maintenance matters in the event that they separate.  

Attorney-General Robert McClelland praised the bill for relieving the "huge administrative and financial burden" on unmarried separating couples. He also noted that, "Consistent with the Government's policy, the legislation will not discriminate between opposite-sex and same-sex de facto couples.  Nothing in the legislation will alter marriage laws."

The Marriage Amendment Act of 2004 explicitly states that marriage is defined as the union of one man and one woman. As this act is broadly supported, homosexualist efforts in the country focus on the reform of existing law by eliminating all language that delineates natural marriage, without actually altering the definition of marriage. 

In April, the government announced it will change the language of 100 statutes and provisions in Commonwealth laws to accommodate same-sex couples. (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/apr/08043004.html)  Since then, the Rudd Government has been steadily sending language-reform bills to Parliament that eliminate all distinction between homosexual and heterosexual unions, while paying lip service to the marriage amendment. (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/sep/08090406.html)

In the Senate debate on one such bill, Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi slammed the slow and steady takeover of the homosexual agenda, saying that the homosexualist bills being put forward "are built upon premises that I do not accept - premises that take their lead from the development of an Orwellian newspeak and give rise to a most pernicious form of social engineering."

Bernardi argued that such attempts to raze traditional marriage to the ground only 5 years ago "would have been considered by most in this place as anathema to our society and to the time-honoured principles of support for marriage and the family. 

"Now, I dare say, I am probably seen by many as speaking some form of heresy in this place when I say that this bill does not deserve the time we are about to devote to it.

"I guess my comments are what George Orwell termed 'crimethink,'" said Bernardi.

Blasting the arbitrary removal of "discriminatory" language with no rational basis, Bernardi said, "What are the arguments arising from these eureka moments of discovering discrimination that would employ the dictates of reason to decide that such change as proposed in this bill and other bills is warranted?

"There are none. The case has not been made. I say: make the case so we can debate the reasoning, but do not treat the members of this place, elected by the good people of this great nation, as mindless minions."

Bernardi immediately came under fire for the strongly-worded speech, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, as Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull warned him to "moderate his language."

Another bill on the fast track to ratification, this one amending family laws to grant parental rights to homosexual couples, was denounced by Nationals senator Ron Boswell as "creating a new class of parent - a 'fother.'

"We are left with legal distortions and euphemisms in order to convince ourselves we are treating everyone equally," said Boswell.

Some homosexual rights activists continue to protest Parliament's refusal to open the definition of marriage to same-sex couples.  Last night, the openly homosexual high court judge Michael Kirby decried the current status of the marriage law, and also rallied for an end to anti-sodomy laws, which he called a "relic of colonialism."

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Two Birds with One Stone: Australian Homosexual Bill Promotes Polygamist Agenda
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/apr/08043004.html

Australia Grants Homosexual Couples New Legal and Financial Benefits, but Not Marriage
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/apr/08043004.html

Australia's Cardinal Pell Warns of Coming 'War' on Church from Biotech, Gay 'Rights', Islamic Fears
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/oct/07103005.html

Australia Strikes Down Law Recognizing Same-Sex Unions
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jun/06061301.html

Australian Government Will Overrule Gay "Marriage" Law
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jun/06060610.html

First Australian Territory to Grant All Marriage Rights to Same-Sex Unions
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/mar/06032805.html

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