Perth Voice Interactive

VINCENT mayor John Carey is backing a move by the WA parliament to knock on the head the planned $150 million marriage equality plebiscite.

The WA Legislative Assembly’s motion, moved by Maylands Labor MP Lisa Baker and which passed unanimously, calls on the federal parliament to instead give all MPs and Senators a “free vote” (unshackled by factional or party solidarity) on amending the Marriage Act.

Deny

In 2004 the Howard government changed the Marriage Act to explicitly deny marriage between anyone other than “a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others”. Marriage equality supporters say it would be simple to change it back, or to something like “between consenting adults”.

Mr Carey, who is gay, is confident “most Australians are not fussed by the issue and wonder why it is not already in place”. “A free vote is the quicker and cheapest way,” he says.

Ms Baker, who usually keeps her private life out of the public gaze, opened up during debate on her motion.

“This debate is personal for me because I am not permitted to marry the person I love,” she told MPs.

“My partner and I are godparents to many of our friends’ and families’ children.

Curiously

“Now and then our families’ or our friends’ kids curiously ask their parents if Aunty Lisa and Aunty Kathleen are married and are told, ‘well, they love each other just like mummy and daddy love each other, so it is just like they are married.’

“My brother and his wife should not have to explain our relationship to my precious niece and nephew. We are Thomas and Emily’s aunts and we love each other and we love them.Those members who oppose my right to be treated equitably do so on a very narrow base with antiquated views of Australian society in this century.”

by STEPHEN POLLOCK