In what appears to be a desperate stunt, the WA Greens introduced the Same Sex Marriage Bill 2013 in the Western Australian Parliament on 12th December 2013, the same day that the High Court overturned the same type of Bill in the ACT.

The High Court unanimously struck down the ACT Marriage Equality (Same Sex) Act that was passed in October 2013, meaning that 27 “marriages” that were performed under the ACT legislation now have no legal standing. Homosexual activist Rodney Croome, Australian Marriage Equality national director, claimed that the ruling was just “a temporary defeat.”

Lawyers for the Federal Government argued that the Commonwealth Marriage Act was intended to ensure that states and territories do not operate differently when determining whether couples are married. “Accordingly, the ACT Act cannot operate concurrently with the federal Act”, the High Court ruled.

Had the High Court upheld the ACT’s Marriage Equality laws, it would have provided the impetus for similar laws being introduced and passed in other states across Australia.

It should not be forgotten that Kevin Rudd promised he would legalize same-sex marriage within 100 days if re-elected. Nor should it be forgotten that our new Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, supports traditional marriage and is responsible for mounting the High Court challenge.

In Western Australia, apparently undeterred by the ACT’s defeat, the Hon Lynn MacLaren, a Greens member of the Legislative Council for the South Metropolitan Region introduced the Same Sex Marriage Bill 2013 in the Council. In spite of the High Court’s ruling, she made the astonishing claim that, “It [the bill] doesn’t seek to do what the ACT bill sought, it just deals with our state laws… so I can’t see it affecting the federal Marriage Act.” A subsequent Greens’ media release claimed, “This bill builds on momentum [a surprising word following the ACT’s stunning defeat] across Australia to close the gap of inequality once and for all.”

The Hon Nick Goiran, Liberal MLC for South Metropolitan Region, and other MPs have pledged to fight the Same Sex Marriage Bill 2013 “every step of the way.” The first opportunity that the Greens have to bring the Bill on for debate will be during their allocated session of non-government business on Thursday 20 March.  They will also have opportunities this year on 15 May, 25 September and 27 November.

ACTION:

We urge readers of Life News to express opposition to the Greens’ Same Sex Marriage Bill. Our recommendations are:

1.Write to your representatives in the Upper House (i.e., Members of the Legislative Council).  Each person in WA has 6 MLCs representing their Region; A complete list of MLC’s for each region with contact details can be seen at  http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/memblist.nsf/WebCurrMembElectorate?OpenView&Start=1&Count=1000&Expand=1#1 Note: Don’t write to Lower House members, i.e., Members of the Legislative Assembly, as the Bill is in the Upper House.

2. The main messages are that the High Court has just ruled last year that this is a debate for the Federal Parliament and not the States and Territories and therefore as a taxpayer you object to:

a. the waste of the State Parliament’s time in debating this matter; and

b. the likelihood that the State of WA would have to pay the Federal Government’s legal costs in a losing High Court case, just like the ACT.

Note: You may also wish to state that you believe that marriage is between one man and one woman and should not be re-defined to encompass homosexual relationships.