Goverment Affirmation of Heterosexual Marriage
Reverend the Hon. Dr GORDON MOYES: I ask a question without notice of the Treasurer, and Minister for State Development representing the Premier. First, has the Premier expressed that the Government’s policy is to affirm that marriage consists of a man and a woman as husband and wife? Second, is the Premier aware that the notion of marriage as being between a husband and wife is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Third, is the Premier aware that law professor Richard Wilkins has made a study of social historians, scholars and sociologists who have studied the role of marriage over the centuries and who have all said that marriage is an honoured institution between a man and a woman? Fourth, is the Premier aware that two years ago Professor Judith Wallerstein published her research into 30 years of no-fault divorce law with the conclusion that no-fault divorce law has had an extremely high societal cost because commitment to marriage has been replaced by the idea of disposable relationships? Finally, will the Minister ask the Premier to affirm the Government’s position that marriage is between a husband and a wife?
The Hon. MICHAEL EGAN: I am not aware that the Premier has made a comment on this issue. In any event, marriage laws under the Australian Constitution are matters for the Federal Parliament. Nevertheless, I shall refer the honourable member’s question to the Premier for a considered response. I am not sure that I would agree with the suggestion of the honourable member about no-fault divorce laws. I am old enough to remember the situation before the Family Law Act was introduced and I really would not want to see Australia go back to that sort of situation. Whilst I acknowledge that many people do not take marriage seriously these days when they enter into it, I think for those old enough to remember, the situation prior to the Family Law Act was not a situation that many people would want to go back to.
