- Labored equality (04 Dec 08)
Evaluating the Rudd government's performance in bringing equality to gay and lesbian Australians Sam Butler concludes in SX:On one hand Labor has demonstrated goodwill efficiency and thoroughness and should be ...
- Equal super at last (25 Nov 08)
The removal of discrimination against same-sex couples from at least eight-five federal laws is a formality after the last of them passed the Senate last night. A bill to eliminate ...
- Superannuation equality inches closer (15 Oct 08)
Good news: the Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws—Superannuation) Bill 2008 passed the second reading (in principle) stage in the Senate on 16 October. The Family Law Amendment (De ...
- Will Mr Turnbull allow discrimination to end now? (16 Sep 08)
Labor Attorney-General Robert McClelland today introduced to Parliament the second stage of legislation removing same-sex discrimination from a range of Commonwealth laws. The amendments will remove discrimination in areas including ...
- Haneef deserves apology and compensation (31 Aug 08)
It was clear almost from the outset that Dr Mohammed Haneef had no case to answer when arrested last year. Now the Australian Federal Police have announced that he is ...
- Canberra civil partership numbers (12 Aug 08)
News is that the number of same-sex couples registering their partnerships under new ACT laws has exceeded the Territory government's expectation. Twenty five couples have registered since the Civil Partnerships ...
- Court upholds WYD free speech (15 Jul 08)
I have been sceptical that the New South Wales regulations restricting protesters at World Youth Day events could be overturned. So I am glad that the Federal Court has ruled ...
- Papal annoyance (11 Jul 08)
The Federal Court is about to begin hearing a challenge to the New South Wales Government's World Youth Day regulations. The powers mean authorities can arrest and fine people who ...
- WYD : NSW shoots itself in the foot (04 Jul 08)
The New South Wales government has shot itself in the foot (again) this time by heavy-handed restriction of protesters on World Youth Day. As the explanatory notes state the World ...
- More civil union debate in Canberra's assembly (03 Jul 08)
The Canberra Times reports that Greens member of the A.C.T. Legislative Assembly Dr Deb Foskey has tabled a bill to allow same-sex couples to formalise their unions with a legal ...
- Painful, ongoing discrimination (25 Jun 08)
Graeme Innes AM Australian Human Rights Commissioner says the Liberal and National opposition is "extremely misguided." in delaying in the removal of discrimination against same sex couples with respect to ...
- Libidinous law (20 Jun 08)
Legal history scholar Alecia Simmonds tells the story of 18 year old Sarah Cox who in 1825 successfully brought Australia's first breach-of-promise action against her ex-lover Captain John Payne. Payne's ...
- Liberal bigotry makes Senator sick (19 Jun 08)
As expected the Opposition has used its numbers in the Senate to send Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws--Superannuation) Bill 2008 to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee ...
- Marriage and the separation of powers (18 Jun 08)
In its 20 Jun 08 editorial Commonweal argues that decisions on a "deeply divisive social and moral issue" such as "the meaning of marriage" should not be made by judges ...
- Blocked (17 Jun 08)
Bringing to an end a much-too-long-running storm in a teacup Sydney radio station 2UE has agreed to apologise for vilifying homosexuals during an on-air conversation between high profile presenters John ...
- All power to Mr Mitcham (06 Jun 08)
Many will be watching superb diver Matthew Mitcham who was interviewed by the Sydney Morning Herald (24 May 08) after he competed in recent championships at Fort Lauderdale.Mitcham stood 10 ...
- Separate but equal? (19 May 08)
From the Korea Times (1 May 08) but not a topic one would expect to find in a Korean paper. ...
- Rudd wears Howard's shoes, but they don't fit him (05 May 08)
Since the Sunday announcement that the Rudd government would use Commonwealth powers to disallow civil partnerships in Canberra on the grounds they would too closely mimic marriage it has coped ...
- Mr Rudd's gay blisters (05 May 08)
Today's The Canberra Times (5 May 08) reports that the ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell launched a "blistering" attack on the Rudd Government yesterday as he "capitulated" on his bid to ...
- Cautiously optimistic on equality (30 Apr 08)
I am cautiously optimistic following an announcement today (30 Apr 08) by Attorney-General Robert McClelland that legislation to remove discrimination against same-sex couples from a "wide range" of Commonwealth laws ...
- The bravery of slightly different colored sheep (26 Apr 08)
Excerpted from Brave boys and the bigots by Paul Syvret Assistant editor and columnist The Courier-Mail Brisbane (15 Apr 08)If you want to be truly astounded at some of the ...
- Justice delayed? (16 Apr 08)
It is disappointing to read a report (The Australian 16 Apr 08) that the Rudd Government is considering delaying the promised removal of legal discrimination against gays and lesbians because ...
- Boring food, inclusive policy (06 Apr 08)
The US National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) announced on 12 March that Richard Ellis Vice President of Communications for McDonald's USA has been elected to its Board ...
- School, a place of execution (30 Mar 08)
On 12 February 2008 in the town of Oxnard north of Los Angeles a 15-year-old student Lawrence King was in his school computer lab when a 14-year old classmate shot ...
- Civil partnership reality (20 Mar 08)
The Howard Government's disallowance of the Australian Capital Territory's Civil Union Act 2006 was opposed by the Labor party when in opposition. Yet since Prime Minister Rudd took office in ...
- Legitimate trespass? (07 Mar 08)
The Defence (Special Undertakings) Act 1952 makes it an offence to enter without government approval a place used for a special defence undertaking. Such an undertaking was defined as one ...
- Celebration ... and unfinished battles (02 Mar 08)
This year's Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras was a 30th anniversary. The procession of 150 floats was led by the "78ers" a group of 186 of the original marchers ...
- Honesty, sexuality ... and Retsina (28 Feb 08)
Novelist critic and journalist Dr Philip Hensher FRSL argues in The Independent (26 Feb 08) that gay is no longer disapproved of but that hiding it is. This is a ...
- Bob Brown backs the ACT's stand (25 Feb 08)
Greens Senator Bob Brown and Jim Wallace from the Australian Christian Lobby joined Tony Jones on the ABC's Lateline on 20 Feb 08 to debate so-called 'gay marriage'. This is ...
- Ludicrous overreaction (12 Feb 08)
The ludicrous overreaction to the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent lecture Civil and Religious Law in England: a Religious Perspective shows how difficult it is to present even a simple idea ...
- Labor disappoints (08 Feb 08)
Attorney-General Robert McClelland says that clauses in the ACT's civil partnerships bill that would allow gay couples to hold a public ceremony marking their union are unacceptable. "We think a ...
- Clean internet access? Who is responsible? (29 Jan 08)
Apparently the federal government is to legislate that internet service providers be required to offer a 'clean feed' to their Australian customers with undesirable sites and content being blocked by ...
- Oz Day hideousness (25 Jan 08)
Describing himself a "fourth generation Australian male approaching middle-age " Tom Cranitch writes in Eureka Street of 21 Jan 08 that he nonetheless does not like Australia Day our 26 ...
- Well done Kevin. Now for the rest of your team . . . (07 Dec 07)
So just where does federal Labor stand on civil partnerships? This afternoon the ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell says that negotiations over civil partnerships in the Territory look likely to continue ...
- Hang on to the baby, please Mr Stanhope (05 Dec 07)
The Canberra Times (5 Dec 07) says that ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope is unwilling to compromise on recognition of same-sex unions and has warned his federal Labor colleagues against ...
- Howard's departure is a joyous occasion. (27 Nov 07)
A few days before the election I wrote that I found the now-defeated Howard Government "corrupt and incompetent". Philip Adams reminds me that I should have added "bigoted and immoral."Why ...
- Hoping for change (26 Nov 07)
We joined the ritual of watching the election night count and broached a bottle when the result was clear. Sunday the next day was a long day. I preached at ...
- Too late to be believed, Mr Turnbull? (07 Nov 07)
The Coalition has made an election promise to extend superannuation death benefits to all Commonwealth employees in interdependent relationships including same-sex couples. Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull (whose electorate includes ...
- Same-sex couples at federal Mersey (31 Oct 07)
As I work in the Australian Public Service Department that is administering the federal takeover of the Mersey Hospital I cannot comment generally about the matter. However I note that ...
- Marriage policy not surprising (25 Oct 07)
Apparently Kevin Rudd's campaign plan was derailed when he was asked on commercial radio in Sydney about his beliefs on gay marriage according to the ABC.A radio shock jock interfered ...
- The only decent election policy for us (18 Oct 07)
Other than the fast waning Democrats the Australian Greens are the only party in play that has a decent policy on gay and lesbian people. Thus Harley Dennett reports in ...
- Free of inward-looking agonies? (04 Oct 07)
In today's edition of Eureka Street (vol. 17 no.19 4 Oct 07) Dr Charles Sherlock provides interesting and informative background and discussion of the recent decision that the constitution and ...
- Thanks Joe, but speak up Kevin! (03 Oct 07)
Opposition legal affairs spokesman Senator Joe Ludwig yesterday accused the Howard Government of failing homosexuals by refusing to remove discrimination and allowing it to be passed on to their children. ...
- Unity and the stained glass ceiling (01 Oct 07)
The Rt Revd Dr Tom Frame is Director of St Mark's National Theological Centre here in Canberra and an outstanding writer and scholar. In The Australian today (01 Oct 07) ...
- No commitment or policy on same-sex public sector super (29 Sep 07)
Harley Dennett of the Sydney Star Observer writes (27 Sep) that following the favourable and near-unanimous recommendations of an inter-party Senate Committee John Howard's Cabinet may this week reconsider its ...
- Women bishops more likely for Australia (28 Sep 07)
The Anglican Church of Australia's highest legal authority the Appellate Tribunal has ruled (see press reports here and here) that there is no constitutional bar to women becoming diocesan bishops. ...
- Affrerement : Some history for John Howard to read (27 Aug 07)
Allan A. Tulchin of Shippensburg University in a widely-noted article ( "Same-sex couples creating households in old regime France: the uses of the affrèrement." Journal of Modern History September 2007) ...
- Andrews should go (22 Aug 07)
I am pleased that Federal Court judge Mr Justice Jeffrey Spender set aside Immigration Minister Andrews' decision on 16 July to cancel Dr Haneef's work visa finding the Minister had ...
- The least protection? (05 Aug 07)
The Guardian's commentator Rosa Davis rightly reminds readers that in "A case of extraordinary amnesia" "The world seems to have forgotten that international humanitarian law applies to everyone--even suspected terrorists.". ...
- Bigger target needed (05 Aug 07)
The Oz Politics site is often informative for example with this aggregation of Australian polling trends. This shows that:Labor would win in a landslide if an election were called now;the ...
- Terror review overdue (04 Aug 07)
George Williams Anthony Mason professor and director of the Gilbert and Tobin Centre of Public Law at the University of NSW reminds us of the Government's promise to fully review ...
- Still 2nd class (31 Jul 07)
On the fortieth anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England Matthew Parris in The Times has declared himself a "post-homosexualist" and Simon Fanshawe in The Guardian says that "Forty ...
- This grubby government (30 Jul 07)
The government's graceless actions are bringing Australia into disrepute. Patrick Barkham argues in the Guardian that the Australian government's treatment of Mohammed Haneef reveals its struggle to justify alarmist anti-terrorism ...
- s501 (26 Jul 07)
His 501s leave this guy plenty of freedom to move. But s501 of the Migration Act 1958 and Australia's anti terror laws took away Dr Mohamed Haneef's freedom Now the ...
- The Howard government fails UN report card (21 Jul 07)
An inaugural report on Australia's performance at the UN has given the Federal Government a fail mark. Australia's efforts on the international stage were particularly poor on human rights and ...
- Unfairness, incompetence and political opportunism (20 Jul 07)
The "Hapless case of Mohamed Haneef" as today's Sydney Morning Herald editorial (20 Jul 07) calls it demonstrated yet again (if any demonstration were still needed) the unfairness incompetence and ...
- What will it be in 2007? (13 Jul 07)
2001 We will decide Who comes into this country-- And the circumstances In which they come.[*] Like a piece of poetry it was the toughening iambics those sharpened 'c's like ...
- Public employees still discriminated against (15 May 07)
In the recent federal budget same-sex couples were again ignored. In 2004 the Government gave a clear undertaking to reform public sector superannuation laws to allow same-sex couples to be ...
- Comfortable in his skin (27 Apr 07)
Singer Anthony Callea has received much goodwill following his recent announcement that he's gay. Callea was a guest panelist on last Wednesday's episode of the ABC's Spicks and Specks ...
- Nothing radical about equality (07 Mar 07)
Mr Tim Wilson is a research fellow at "free market thinktank" the Institute of Public Affairs in Melbourne and a specialist in trade liberalisation globalisation intellectual property and foreign policy. ...
- Action, not promises, Mr Howard (04 Mar 07)
The Prime Minister's Office has apparently confirmed reports (e.g. in The Australian of 2 March) that he is considering legal changes to remove discrimination against same-sex couples in areas such ...
- Red Cross bloody mindedness (14 Feb 07)
My employer a large government agency has a "Count's Vampire Shield" -- an interdivisional contest to enourage blood donations by workplace teams in work time. But we are reminded "Please ...
- Left to lament (10 Feb 07)
"Gay rights akin to Mexican stand-off." Editorial Canberra Times(8 Feb 07)Attorney-General Simon Corbell has been a model of reasonableness and restraint since being told by federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock that ...
- Humphries supports his constituency (08 Feb 07)
Liberal Senator Gary Humphries has supported the ACT Government's Civil Partnerships Bill disagreeing with federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock who says that if the Bill is passed by the ACT Assembly ...
- Not to be celebrated (08 Feb 07)
Attorney-General Ruddock has made clear the blatantly predudical reasons for the federal government's rejection of the ACT's most recent attempt to legislate for same-sex civil partnerships. They are not worthy ...
- The straight Australia policy (06 Feb 07)
Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has informed the ACT that the Commonwealth would recommend that the Governor-General disallow the Australian Capital Territory's Civil Partnerships Bill 2006 in its current form. In a ...
- A.C.T. tries again (12 Dec 06)
The Australian Capital Territory's Attorney General Simon Corbell today presented the Civil Partnerships Bill 2006 in the Legislative Assembly. The bill replaces Civil Unions Act 2006 which was disallowed by ...
- Norway gives the lead. Australia to follow? (11 Dec 06)
On 1 December at the Third Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva Ambassador Stommen of Norway made the following statement on behalf of 54 nations:I have the honour ...
- Superannuation secrecy (27 Nov 06)
Seeking further information about the costing implications of extending public sector employee superannuation benefits to same sex and interdependent couples Senator Nick Sherry Labor's Shadow Minister for Superannuation Intergenerational Finance ...
- Super costings awaited (06 Nov 06)
In a 25 October press release Nicola Roxon MP Labor's Shadow Attorney-General and Senator Nick Sherry Shadow Minister for Superannuation Intergenerational Finance Banking & Financial Services have again called on ...
- Neither progressive nor liberated (24 Oct 06)
John Heard criticises Jonestown Chris Masters' biography of influential conservative commentator Alan Jones as "blatant homophobia" "It's outrageous " he says "to pick on gays just because they happen to be ...
- Giving evidence (23 Oct 06)
James and I had our 15 seconds (10 minutes actually) when we gave evidence last Friday before the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's Inquiry Same-sex: same entitlements. Ours was ...
- Louise Pratt (05 Oct 06)
Western Australian upper house parliamentarian Louise Pratt won the top spot on the Australian Labor Party's Senate ticket in a preselection ballot on 4 October pushing frontbencher Senator Mark Bishop ...
- Bloody mindedness (31 Aug 06)
31 August 2006 The General Manager National Blood Authority Locked Bag 8430 CANBERRA ACT 2601 The Age reports today that Australians are being urged to donate blood immediately with current ...
- Superannuants support same sex couples (19 Aug 06)
For some years the Superannuated Commonwealth Officers' Association (SCOA) has been pursuing the payment of superannuation death benefits for members of same sex couples. SCOA represents superannuated former employees of ...
- Inquiry into hypocrisy (and my 15 seconds) (05 Aug 06)
In the Sydney Mornig Herald today (5 Aug 06) Adele Horin writes about the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's current National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same-Sex ...
- Get censused! (02 Aug 06)
With census night on 8 August 2006 the Australian Coalition for Equality has reminded same-sex couples and people with differing gender identities that it is important they be counted in ...
- Straight Australia Policy (23 Jun 06)
The Australian Financial Review 22 June 2006 reports that the the Howard government is deliberately obtructing the work of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's National Inquiry into Discrimination ...
- Howard out of step (20 Jun 06)
In an ACNielsen/Age poll 45% of those polled supported ACT laws allowing gay civil unions while 34% opposed them. (What happened to the remaining 21%? -- that's a lot of ...
- Blowing the dog whistle (14 Jun 06)
There is much comment in the press about the Howard government's disllowance of the ACT's civil union laws much of it tediously repetitive. But senior journalist Laurie Oakes's observations in ...
- His Excellency disallows (13 Jun 06)
In a meeting of the Executive Council this morning the Governor-General accepted a recommendation by the Howard government that he disallow the Australian Capital Territory's Civil Unions Act 2006. The ...
- The Age talks sense on civil unions (12 Jun 06)
The Age enhances its reputation as a respected newspaper in this sensible Editorial "Same-sex unions a matter of human rights" (12 Jun 06).The last time the Federal Parliament overturned ...
- Addressing union (10 Jun 06)
Following the federal government's decision to ask the Governor-General to disallow the ACT's Civil Unions Act 2006 the Territory's assembly has taken the unprecedented step of voting to deliver a ...
- This is what we're on about (07 Jun 06)
"How can same-sex unions possibly be a threat to marriage?" by Andrew Lynch Andrew Lynch is senior lecturer in the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law Univerity of New ...
- Outrageously undemocratic and sickeningly disappointing (05 Jun 06)
The conservative Australian federal government announced today that it will legislate to to overturn the Australian Capital Territory's Civil Unions Act 2006. Federal Attorney-General Mr Ruddock says that the ACT ...
- HREOC inquires (02 Jun 06)
16th June is the last day for submissions to a national enquiry by the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Same-Sex: Same Entitlements -- Discrimination against People in Same-Sex ...
- The enlargers and the straighteners (13 May 06)
Speech by the Hon. Andrew Barr MLA Minister for Education and Training Minister for Tourism Sport and Recreation Minister for Industrial Relations and Member for Molonglo -- in the ACT ...
- Civil unions passed (12 May 06)
After a long debate the ACT Legislative Assembly passed the Civil Unions Bill 2006 late last night with voting along party lines. The Assembly amended the bill to try to ...
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