Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to rise to speak on the Succession to the Crown Bill 2015, because it provides an opportunity to focus on a long overdue change that directly impacts the perception of women, the status of women and the rights of women. It is a bill for an act to change the law relating to gender and marriage on royal succession and related matters. What motivates me to participate in this debate? As we have already heard many before me say, the sovereign of Australia of course is the same as the sovereign of the United Kingdom, and changes are being made to the law in the United Kingdom, and I wish to signal to all Australians that we are a modern government here in Australia and that my government will dispense with discriminatory practices and support equality.

The changes that we are debating and proposing in this bill will ensure that the person who is the sovereign of the United Kingdom is the sovereign of Australia, with two main provisions. Firstly, it will remove the statutory provision by which marriage to a Roman Catholic person disqualifies a person in the line of succession. This religious discrimination is contemptible in the 21st century, and therefore this bill is most welcome. Secondly, it will put an end to the archaic system of male preference primogeniture, such that in the future the order of succession will be determined simply by birth and not by sex. Frankly, I wonder if we will ever get to the point where it is actually more about intellect and ability to do the job, but I guess that is a debate for another day. Primogeniture today is not a commonly used word—clearly, because I am having a bit of trouble saying it myself!

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