Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I indicate that the government will not be supporting the Australian Greens amendment moved by Senator Hanson-Young, consistent with the position that the Labor Party have indicated quite clearly for many years in the context of this debate. We made very clear prior to the election our election commitment to removing discrimination against same-sex couples. We will deliver on that if the passage of the legislation can be assured, and certainly we have put legislation before the parliament to deliver on that election commitment. We have also said consistently, when this issue has been debated on a number of occasions in this parliament, that we regard marriage as a union between a man and a woman. We support the definition of marriage that exists within the Marriage Act.

In relation to the points made by Senator Joyce, if I might perhaps respond very briefly, this is not an issue about personal desires or discipline, Senator Joyce; this is an issue about the removal of discrimination from a particular category of relationships in Australia. We on this side of the chamber—the government—do not believe that the removal of discrimination against same-sex couples undermines marriage. We do believe that it is time that this nation stopped treating people differently under Commonwealth laws or programs as a result of the nature of their relationship or the sex of their partner. We have previously made our view clear, and we continue to make it clear, of marriage as being a union between a man and a woman. We do not see, nor do we believe, that removal of discrimination against same-sex couples undermines marriage in any way. Hopefully the chamber can proceed with this amendment prior to moving on to consideration of government documents.