Mrs MAY (3:52 PM) —I commend the member for Ryan for introducing this private member’s motion to recognise and honour marriage as being the exclusive union between a man and a woman. I hope that this country continues to recognise that marriage is between a man and a woman and that it does not venture down the path of another social experiment that could in time see it pay an enormous price that will have huge social ramifications in the future, particularly on children.

This government has consistently reiterated the fundamental importance of the place of marriage in our society, and this commitment to the traditional definition of marriage was reaffirmed with bipartisan support in this parliament in 2004. As the motion before the House today says: as a nation we need to ‘celebrate the importance of marriage as an indispensable institution in Australian society’—and celebrate we can. The number of registered marriages in this country is increasing. The statistics may surprise some, but in fact all states and territories have recorded increases in the number of registered marriages. In Western Australia that number has increased by 11 per cent, and in the ACT it has increased by 10 per cent. New South Wales and Victoria recorded the smallest increases at only two per cent—but still an increase.

The institution of marriage between a man and a woman is supported by Australian society, and we must protect that institution. The increase in the number of marriages within our society clearly demonstrates the acceptance of the institution as a union between a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, made voluntarily and entered into for life. The institution of marriage between a man and a woman has been the accepted norm for centuries; it has stood the test of time. It has been the vehicle by which children have been raised and nurtured. It is the vehicle that has protected and guaranteed our society’s future and, in my view, it will be the vehicle that will see communities both here and around the world continue to grow and prosper.

In my view, the status of marriage between a man and a woman should not be compromised. Same-sex relationships or, indeed, unions should not have the same status as a marriage between a man and a woman. The two relationships are different by their very nature and, because they are different, they need to be treated differently. The ACT Civil Unions Act 2006 provided in section 5(2):

How can a civil union be different from a marriage on one hand, yet be treated the same as a marriage on the other? One glaring difference with the proposal by the ACT government was the termination of a civil union. Under the proposal, a civil union could be terminated by just giving written notice to the Registrar-General. If it was not withdrawn within a month, the civil union was over. It would seem to me that the value of a civil union under the proposed act was certainly not strengthened or, indeed, in any way resembled a marriage under the Marriage Act if two people could end a union with a letter.

Not all marriages are made in heaven and, sadly, human failings and faults often see marriages ending. Some of those end acrimoniously with children often paying a very high emotional price of a messy separation that ends in divorce. Instead of moving to new social experiments that would end in more heartache and disaster, we need to put in place strong measures to assist and help couples and families meet the responsibilities that marriage brings, particularly once children become part of the family unit.

This government has been active over the past 10 years in ensuring that marriages have the best environment, both economically and socially, to enable husbands and wives to build strong family units that will survive the test of time and the enormous responsibilities and challenges that are faced over long periods of time.

In the last budget, brought down only weeks ago, the Treasurer announced further measures that demonstrate the commitment of the government to supporting families and the choices they make. Helping families has been one of the highest priorities of this government. Major initiatives in the budget will ensure that our economic prosperity continues well into the future. That strong economic base will assist families by keeping interest rates low, by keeping inflation low, by keeping unemployment low and by ensuring that, with a disciplined approach to our economy, families in this country will benefit and prosper. Specific services, such as early intervention and the funding of relationship centres around the country, will give couples the education and skills training they need to build strong relationships for the long term.

A healthy family environment means a healthy and strong society for our country. Strong family relationships build strong communities. We need to continue supporting these types of services to assist children, young people and adults and to continue sustaining safe, supportive and nurturing family relationships—and there is no better place for nurturing than within the institution of marriage. I commend the motion to the House.