Relationships Register Bill 2010 Speech from Hansard of 12 May 2010
Reverend the Hon. Dr GORDON MOYES [9.10 p.m.]: I deeply appreciate the contributions made by previous speakers and the respect they have been shown for their differing opinions on this very important matter. The purpose of the Relationships Register Bill 2010, to which I speak on behalf of Family First, is to provide for the legal recognition of relationships of couples, regardless of sex, by registration of the relationships, including those registered interstate, as de facto partnerships for the purposes of State legislation. The membership of Family First has been very vocal on this issue. Hundreds of people have contacted me and I am pleased to represent their views as strongly as I can. I do respect the views of other members who hold different beliefs.
Under this legislation homosexual couples and unmarried heterosexual couples will now be able to register their relationships so they can access and receive all the same legal entitlements currently given to traditional, male-female, married couples. Some time ago I discussed the personal, moral and legal issues over lunch with former High Court Justice Michael Kirby—whom I am pleased to call a friend—and I thank him for his insight, gained from his personal experiences as well as from his vast legal repertoire. The New South Wales Government is simply introducing legislation modelled on other jurisdictions, such as the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania.
The proposed Relationships Register will help remove discrimination faced not just by unmarried heterosexual couples but also by those in same-sex relationships. The New South Wales Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages will administer the Relationships Register, as I believe is quite appropriate. I am glad there is no provision for legal celebration of same-sex relationships, although there are no restrictions on celebrations separate from the registration of their relationships. To be eligible to register a relationship on the Relationships Register couples must be in a committed, exclusive relationship, not be married or in another relationship that is registered or registrable, be 18 years of age or older, and one person must be a resident of New South Wales.
I note that in a survey of 7,862 homosexuals the 2003-04 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census in the United States of America found that of those involved in a “current relationship” only 15 per cent described their current relationship as having lasted 12 years or longer. Relationships are notoriously brief in the homosexual male lifestyle, and are rarely exclusive even then. The lifestyle choices and patterns for lesbians differ but lesbians still go through many changes of partner during a lifetime, according to the census.
Dr Timothy Dailey, a senior fellow at the Centre for Marriage and Family Studies of the Family Research Council, found that even in so-called “committed” homosexual relationships commitment typically does not include sexual fidelity. It is clear that when homosexuals talk about “marriage” they are not talking about what society has traditionally defined and valued as marriage—being based on a foundation of a lifelong commitment and the expectation, more often than not, of raising a family. Such marriage is a social good of great value. Society rests upon the strength of its marriages, families, homes, and preparation of the new generation. Homosexuals, generally speaking, are not talking about that at all.
Although we in Family First support the removal of many barriers faced by unmarried and same-sex couples, our primary concern is for the welfare of the traditional family unit. Children have a right to be raised by a mother and father, not just two adults of the same sex, no matter how loving they may be. Marriage between a man and a woman is the most sophisticated of all human relationships. It is understandable that many couples cannot sustain such significant, close intimacy.
We believe that the Government is sugar coating this move by saying that it will remove discrimination and injustice for same-sex couples. I wish, for the Government’s sake, that it were as easy as that. But there is already adequate protection for same-sex couples’ rights under all the laws protecting de facto relationships, whether of same-sex or different partnerships. Having the New South Wales Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages administer the Relationships Register is, I believe, just a backdoor attempt at marriage. I recognise that many members of this House want to be seen to be supporting this legislation because they want society to be fair to homosexuals, lesbians, and transgender and intersex people.
I want society to be fair primarily to children—and marriage is the only guarantee of fairness and justice for children. That is why Family First does not support this bill.
Rev Hon Dr Gordon Moyes AC MLC