So who is Charlie?

Thought you might like to read this report just in - re the ALP reaction to the Govts ammendments to Marriage Act. It will probably be defeated in the Senate by the combined forces of ALP, Greens & Democrats.
Love, Charlie

This dates back to June last year; does anybody know if it got through the Senate???
 

Gay marriage bans clear lower house  http://au.news.yahoo.com/040426/2/opzh.html

The federal government's controversial plans to ban gay couples from marrying and adopting children from overseas were passed by parliament's lower house.

After a heated debate, the government used its numbers to defeat a series of amendments proposed by Labor and get the legislation passed.

The legislation will now be debated in the Senate.

Labor had strongly opposed the ban on gay couples adopting children from overseas in the Marriage Legislation Amendment Bill 2004.

But it did back the bill's measures to changes the Marriage Act to confirm that marriage represents a union between a man and woman.

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said the bill would help protect the institution of marriage and Labor was wrong not to support the ban on gay couples adopting children from overseas.

"This is not a question of suitability of people to adopt," he told parliament.

"This is a question of judging amongst those who are suitable when you have a limited pool who ought to be given priority."

Mr. Ruddock also insisted that the bill was not designed to discriminate against gay couples.

"This is merely affirming what people understand to be the law," he said.

"We are of the view that people can have their relationships, it's just that they can't have their relationships ascribed the characteristic of marriage when marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman."

Carmen Lawrence (ALP, WA) condemned the government for introducing the bill, describing the legislation as cruel.

"This bill has been developed in spite and malice," she said.

"This bill is an appalling abuse of this parliament and in my view, the ministers responsible and the prime minister should be held to account for an exploitation of people who are not in a position to defend themselves against this attack.

"I'm frankly one of those people who's very dismayed that our prime minister has stooped so low."

The legislation was rushed into parliament late last month after Prime Minister John Howard revealed plans to change the Marriage Act to confirm that marriage represents a union between a man and woman.

The change would mean that couples could not marry overseas in a country where gay marriage was legal and th en hope to have the union recognised on their return to Australia.

The Family Law Act is also to be amended to prevent, where possible, gay couples adopting children from overseas.

Superannuation laws will also be changed to expand the definition of dependant in regards to superannuation death benefits to include people in a financially interdependent relationship.

Labor has vowed that if it wins government it will audit existing laws to remove all discrimination on the basis of sexuality, effectively giving same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual de facto couples.

Labor frontbencher Nicola Roxon said the government had an "absolutely ludicrous" position in relation to gay couples adopting children born overseas.The issue was a matter for state and territory governments.

"It is ridiculous to try to achieve their policy objective by implementing this ban at a federal level," Ms Roxon said.

"It is completely ridiculous to suggest that parents in Australia, in same sex couples, could never be a good home for children."