My home-town has just legalised same-sex marriage (story here). 
I usually don’t have a lot of time for the clowns who form our local Government but it’s good to see the ACT get this right. It’s likely to be challenged in the High Court by the Commonwealth Govt. (and it will probably be defeated this time) but I think this will be the start of the other states and territories making their own same-sex marriage laws.
“Down-Under” indeed!
Not to dampen the move, but what’s to stop PM Tony Abbot from overriding this just like John Howard did when the ACT tried to allow civil unions 7 years ago? Also aren’t marriage laws a federal issue in Australia instead of being a state/territory issue like in the US?
The laws that allowed the Commonwealth to override Territory laws were changed a few years ago to make it harder for one politician to do - I’d have to look it up but I think it now takes a majority vote of both Houses of Parliament rather than the previous situation where the Attorney General had veto powers over Territory laws.
As to the legal challenge - it will come down to how the High Court interprets the Constitution and how well the ACT laws have been drafted. My understanding is that they are designed to work alongside the existing laws rather than conflict with them. It’ll come down to lawyers arguing technicalities mostly.
Word is though that NSW is about to get a private members bill on SSM put through soon and I suspect Tasmainia will have another go in the near future. Once one or two states enact their own legislation it will be a different ball-game.
Good luck with that. Remember all of your gay/lesbian friends can always pop over to NZ to get married, they would be welcomed, have a nice honeymoon, and come back knowing that at least one country is doing the right thing.
It would be funny if every state gets SSM despite the federal government being against it.
What baffles me about SSM is why some government doesn’t simply enact it and tell people to live with it. I really don’t think 90% of people in Australia give a shit. As soon as it is the norm everyone will forget about it.
We had a gay guy on our footie team back in the 60s and none of us cared. I worked in nursing in the 70s and there were lots of gays, male and female. No-one cared. There are gay men and women where I work now. No-one cares. It isn’t even talked about.
Well that sure didn’t last long. It’s not surprising since marriage requirements are a federal matter in Australia, not a state matter like in the US. And unlike Canada Australia doesn’t have an entrenched bill of rights so marriage equality can only from federal parliament, not the courts. Still this only a temporary setback, and I predict Australia will have nationwide marriage within a few years and before the US does.