Sydney, Australia, Jun 17, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Australian Family Association has secured the support of Australian Prime Minister John Howard and the opposition Labor Party for a bill, pending in Parliament, to amend the nation’s Marriage Act of 1961.
The amendment would define marriage as “the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.” It also explicitly prohibits the recognition of overseas marriages between same-sex couples and prohibits the facilitation of overseas adoption by Australian same-sex couples. Action in the Lower House is expected before Parliament adjourns June 24.
The move is preemptive, as two judges on Australia’s seven-person High Court have already expressed support for homosexual marriage. Also, several same-sex couples have announced their intention to sue to have their foreign marriages legally recognized in Australia.
Allan Carlson, founder of the World Congress of Families, congratulated the Australian Family Association for putting the traditional definition of marriage on the fast track to legislative approval in Australia.