Annette Ellis (Canberra, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

In the brief time I have today I want to speak on the Civil Unions Act 2006, which passed through the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. Sadly, this issue has become very prominent in the federal parliament. I speak on this with great regret at the federal government’s action on this act and its decision to interfere with the democratic processes within the ACT. I believe very strongly that it is the inherent right of the ACT to legislate for civil union laws.

The ACT government is democratically elected, and I believe that the use of the disallowance instrument under the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act constitutes unwarranted interference by the federal coalition government into the governance of the ACT. The Civil Unions Act 2006 clearly states that a civil union is a legally recognised relationship that may be entered into by any two people regardless of their sex and that it is different from a marriage but is to be treated for all purposes under territory law in the same way as a marriage.

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