Labor faces euthanasia and gay marriage fight


LABOR will face another battle over gay marriage and euthanasia, after a parliamentary committee recommended giving greater autonomy to the ACT and Northern Territory.

A bill drafted by Greens leader Bob Brown would remove the power of federal ministers to override laws made by the territories.

The Labor caucus backed the bill in early March. But after three members of the party's Catholic right approached Prime Minister Julia Gillard demanding a rethink on concerns the legislation would pave the way for same-sex marriage and euthanasia legislation, it was referred to a Senate committee.

The left reacted swiftly, urging Ms Gillard to not be intimidated by the right and also that it should take a stand against caucus being publicly undermined.

The committee, chaired by NT Labor senator Trish Crossin, released its recommendation yesterday, backing the bill.

But ALP right-wing senators Michael Forshaw and Steve Hutchins, one of the trio that demanded the PM reconsider, said in a dissenting report the bill should not be passed, arguing that it was flawed. The pair said it was not just a simple issue of enhancing democratic rights, the view held by the Greens and the Labor governments of the NT and ACT. They said the change would produce anomalies between the ACT, where the Governor-General's veto would be removed, and the NT and the Commonwealth where it would remain.

Senator Forshaw told The Age he would be arguing against the bill when it was raised at caucus.

''The best approach for this bill is for it to be withdrawn and allow that other process go forward, which everyone seems to support, that there be a review of the operation of the ACT legislation,'' he said.

The minority report, which was signed by the five Coalition senators on the committee, said the bill was a disguise for the Greens to pursue it agenda in the ACT.

''It is hard to resist the conclusion that Senator Brown and the Australian Greens see legislation of this kind primarily as a vehicle to promote pet policies such as euthanasia and same-sex marriage, rather than a genuine effort to enhance the democratic rights of Australia's self-governing territories,'' they said.

Senator Brown welcomed the recommendation as a win for democratic reform.

He said that those who were opposing the bill were ''treating territorians with colonial-style disdain''.


http://www.theage.com.au/national/labor-faces-euthanasia-and-gay-marriage-fight-...


The majority of Australians support V.E and Marriage Equality while the majority of Territory Australians require equality with State Australians.

So what path should the ALP take, deny Australians what they desire to keep ALP's right faction happy ... or should the ALP back it's left faction and represent the majority of Australians and back the Greens' Bill?

Which path will Labor take?

The majority of Australians support V.E and Marriage Equality while the majority of Territory Australians require equality with State Australians.

So what path should the ALP take, deny Australians what they desire to keep ALP's right faction happy ... or should the ALP back it's left faction and represent the majority of Australians and back the Greens' Bill?

Which path will Labor take



I just LOVE IT... here we are the country is divided almost on this CARBON TAX..our way of life is threatend and booby comes up with G.M. and death by choice..amazing stuff...i t never fails..

hes been missing almost since gillard announced his policy "we will have a CARBON TAX after all"..


and when he does surface.. this is what we get again..

  can see what we are going to get from the senate..

if it is'nt gay we dont want to know...

if it isnt about legal suicide.. we dont want to know..

if it isnt about HUGE TAX we dont want to know.


have we had referrendums on these topics???


as to know the MAJORITY rule then surely we must have had!!!!!

____ wrote on May 5^th, 2011 at 7:16am:




no darling it doesnt affect me..



but you claim it affects the MAJORITY.....I am saying since when????

whats the equal rights.... they are Territories not States...


its the same old same old....you want 16 to have the vote.. well they cant have the vote and not have the responsibilites that go with it..

like going to fight a war..like drinking down the pub. like getting married.

one goes with the other... and its the same with this..


you only want them to have so called equale rights.. so they can marry their own sex.. or suicide legally.. I think there is a bit more responsibility that goes with being equal...

but thats not important to the green.. grooan

My view -

I support V.E

I do not support gay marriage

But I'd be happy for allowing people to vote and I'd accept the decision.