CANBERRA, March 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Prime Minster of Australia, John Howard, has said that he was against gay “marriage” and the adoption of children by homosexuals. His comments indicate that the government may intend to take action against new laws giving homosexual partners the same rights as married couples.
In an interview on Sydney Radio Howard said, “I’m a social conservative. I think there are certain benchmark institutions and arrangements in our society that you don’t muck around with, and children should be brought up ideally by a mother and father who are married.”
The gay adoption laws were passed in the Australian Capital Territory, (ACT) as part of the Parentage Act and could come into effect in April. It is likely that the federal government would need to use the same constitutional measure it used to overturn the euthanasia law in the Northern Territory.
The ACT Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope, accused Howard of attempting to improve his political situation by creating division over a contentious issue. “If I was forced to speculate it would be an act of desperation by the Prime Minister whose government hasn’t been doing well in the polls and may be seeking to drive a wedge in the community on an issue on which people hold very strong views,” he said.
But Howard responded to Stanhope saying that the issue is the welfare of the child who needs two parents and a normal upbringing. “I think it’s incredibly important that people have role models of both sexes because that’s the kind of society that they’re born into,” he said.
Local Coverage: https://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/08/1078594298145.html
Previous LifeSiteNews.com coverage: https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/may/03050906.html