Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. In relation to the amendment that goes to civil celebrants, I simply want to make this point: when you act as a civil celebrant, you're performing a civil ceremony, not a religious ceremony, and you are exercising a function under our law. It should be that the people who are exercising the function under our law are equally bound by it. There should be no basis in relation to civil celebrants which permits discrimination.

All of the amendments that are raised in the name of religious freedoms go to a single point: that we should be making a distinction under this law to protect religious rights and freedoms. Every member on this side of the House supports religious freedom in this country—every single member. I know that every single member that is going to vote in favour of this legislation supports religious freedoms. But under our law it has never been unlimited. So perhaps it might be better for those who are advocating these changes and these amendments to go away and reflect upon their own religious beliefs, because these, of course, have changed over time as well, and reflected the changes in views in society. I argue that, instead of accepting these amendments, that would be a better course.

If these amendments are rejected and the substantive motion gets up, there are many people who are going to look back upon it and say that this course of action was inevitable. We know that that is not the case. In 2012, when I first moved a marriage amendment bill to the same effect, there were only 42 people who voted in favour of it. I have a hunch that, when the vote is recorded when this bill passes through, it could well be passed on the voices, and there will be a hell of a lot more than 42 people. People have changed their minds. Parliamentarians have changed their minds, and that is a good thing. It says a lot about what we have become as a country.

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