Senator ELLISON (Minister for Justice and Customs) (12:46 PM) —The government does not support these amendments. The Marriage Amendment Bill 2002 is dealing with marriage celebrants, and the marriage celebrants program is what we are looking at. The government does not believe that amendments of this magnitude should be canvassed here. In any event, the government would oppose such amendments, and I suppose that does not offer much solace to Senator Greig.

For the record, the government is of a view that marriage, as far as the Australian community is concerned, has been historically a union between a male and a female, and marriage has also historically occurred for having a family in relation to that male and female. It is clearly in the child's interests, the government believes, for that child to have, in the normal course of events, the care and affection of both a mother and a father. The Family Law Act says that, unless it is contrary to the best interests of children, they have a right to know and be cared for by both parents. The government is firmly of this view and believes therefore that same sex partnerships cannot be given the same status as a marriage between a man and a woman or the same status as de facto relationships involving a man and a woman.

It has been mentioned in debate that some countries have allowed same sex relationships to be equated with marriage. The government is not persuaded by that and believes that the Australian community is very much of a view that the historical understanding of a marriage should continue. Therefore it opposes these amendments. This is a bill which is related to the marriage celebrants program, while this is a fundamental change to how we look at a family and its structure and it does not have a place in this bill. But, if it were to be raised in any other forum, I must be frank that the government would certainly oppose it.