Voters go to the polls this coming Saturday, November 24, 2007.
We invite you to consider the information in the
voting guide and information put together by ACE to assist you in understanding the policies of the various parties and the way in which your vote may be distributed when you vote in the Senate election.
Voters go to the polls this coming Saturday, November 24, 2007.
We invite you to consider the information in the
voting guide and information put together by ACE to assist you in understanding the policies of the various parties and the way in which your vote may be distributed when you vote in the Senate election.
Over 70% of Australians support the call to give same sex couples the same legal rights as heterosexual de facto couples,
as does every State and Territory and most of the developed world. And
yet the federal politicians still sit on their hands and do nothing.
This issue is a matter of simple fairness - giving all
Australians their due entitlements regardless of the nature of their
relationships.
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has reported on their year-long inquiry into discrimination against same sex
couples, which found official discrimination in over 50 different laws.
The onus is now on our politicians to respond to their recommendations
and comprehensively legislate to end this discrimination.
The results of the poll commissioned by GetUp has featured in over 60 national and international media articles. You can find some of them at the media page at GetUp!
Between July and November the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's (HREOC) Same-Sex: Same Entitlements
Inquiry will be holding Hearings and Public Forums across Australia to
obtain further testimonies and information on access to financial and
work related benefits and entitlements for same sex couples.
Click here for dates and venues for public forums in your state or territory.
The consultation process will be launched in Sydney on the 26 July and conclude in Alice Springs on 3 November.
Members of the public are invited to attend any of these events.
Please RSVP to Samantha Edmonds at
or on (02) 9284 9661.
Howard isn't fair dinkum on ending anti-gay laws Howard's 'Straight Australia Policy' gags agencies from HREOC probe 23 June 2006
The Australian Coalition for Equality says it is disgusted by the hypocrisy of the Howard Government with revelations that Cabinet ministers have gagged departments and agencies from making submissions to a HREOC inquiry into discrimination against same-sex couples.
Cabinet's instruction to federal departments and agencies not to make submissions to the HREOC inquiry was exposed in an article in Thursday's Australian Financial Review.
ACE spokesperson Rod Swift says the gag is yet another piece in the Howard Government's 'Straight Australia Policy' and directly contradicts Prime Minister John Howard's claim that he supports the removal of discrimination against same-sex couples in Federal law.
Lobby wants conscience vote on ACT civil unions MPs should freely decide on Howard's 'Straight Australia Policy' 13 June 2006
The Australian Coalition for Equality says the battle to preserve equal and fair treatment for same-sex couples in the ACT is not over, despite Governor-General Michael Jeffery's decision to annul the laws today.
ACE says Cabinet's decision to override the ACT's civil unions laws was a desecration of the democracy and self-governance granted to ACT electors and the human rights of same-sex couples. The lobby group is now calling for a conscience vote in Federal Parliament, saying civil rights should not be determined on party lines.
ACE spokesperson Rod Swift said the quashing by executive order of the ACT civil union laws under John Howard's 'Straight Australia Policy' was a battle far from over.
"John Howard says he's saved marriage by disallowing fair and just laws that would have extended equality to same-sex couples under the ACT's laws," Mr Swift said.
Lobby says Coalition is split on civil union ban Gay lobby to ask Coalition moderates to commit to conscience vote 7 June 2006
The Australian Coalition for Equality says it will seek to meet with moderate Coalition backbench MPs in its campaign to overturn the Federal Cabinet's decision to disallow the ACT's new civil union laws.
ACE's move comes after comments by former Liberal ACT Chief Ministers Gary Humphries and Kate Carnell expressing their disagreement with the Federal Government's move to disallow the legislation. Mr Humphries is now a Senate member for the ACT.
Senator Humphries said: "Although I may not agree with the legislation, I don't think it's right for the (Federal) Government to tell the ACT what it can do in a way it wouldn't be able to with the States."
ACE spokesperson Rod Swift said the lobby group would seek out other moderate Coalition MPs who were willing to exercise their conscience against what is being dubbed as John Howard's 'Straight Australia Policy'.
Lobby slams Cabinet over ACT civil union override Cabinet decision shows more of Howard's 'Straight Australia Policy' 6 June 2006
The Australian Coalition for Equality has utterly condemned Federal Cabinet's decision today to override the ACT's civil unions laws as a desecration of the democracy and self-governance granted to ACT electors and the human rights of same-sex couples.
Cabinet's decision now puts the Howard Government at odds with both public opinion and the trend that sees other nations moving to grant same-sex couples equality. A February 2006 Newspoll showed most Australians agree the Federal Government should be introducing laws to recognise same-sex relationships in Australia.
ACE spokesperson Rod Swift said Cabinet's decision to override the ACT civil union laws was just another move in the Howard Government's undeclared 'Straight Australia Policy'.
Over 70% of Australians support the call to give same sex couples the same legal rights as heterosexual de facto couples,
as does every State and Territory and most of the developed world. And
yet the federal politicians still sit on their hands and do nothing.
