South Aus says no to Same-Sex Marriage

The SA Parliament has rejected an absurd attempt to usurp Federal responsibility for marriage in the Constitution of Australia. Vexatious politicians like those who brought this Bill should have to 'bear costs' like vexatious litigants: refund the taxpayers for wasted time and resources of the State Parliament.

A good report at the ACL website, which also gives a list of how the SA MPs voted. It also gives links so you can email those who voted against the Bill with a vote of thanks:

The South Australia Parliament today voted down a private members’ bill for state-based same-sex marriage.

The bill, introduced by Member for Port Adelaide Dr Susan Close, was defeated on the voices. While five ALP members spoke in support of the bill, 13 members opposed it (10 liberal, one ALP and two independent members) because of the unconstitutionality of the bill, the importance of marriage being defined between a man and a woman and finally the importance of children being raised by a mother and father.

This is the third time in recent months that laws pushing for same-sex marriage have been rejected – the senate rejected a bill in June and Tasmanian Parliament rejected a bill in September last year.

Some Members spoke of how pastors and Christians had engaged them on the issue which shows the importance of the church’s participation in the democratic process. Liberal Member for Schubert Ivan Venning told parliament that the Lutheran church has been his “rock, wisdom and strength…I’ve had so much good advice and arguments by Lutheran pastors in my electorate. I thank them all very much for their support and confidence in me to stand here”.

Liberal Member for Waite, Martin Hamilton Smith, told parliament that whilst he isn’t a person of faith, he believes that people should not be demonised because of their faith. “This argument [that] if you are a Christian then you are wrong, old fashion….I completely reject that proposition. I would appeal to churches of any faith or denomination to be more vocal. Get out there and express your view as advocates,” he said.

Notably, Member for Newland and the only ALP Member to speak against the bill was Thomas Kenyon.
He told parliament he opposed the bill because of his belief in marriage. He referred to marriage existing before the establishment of Christianity or any organised religion and how it came from the recognition of a relationship between a man and a woman.

“This is a long standing social institution. The only real difference between that class of relationships and same-sex relationships is the ability to have children,” he said.