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Hansard
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- PETITIONS
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- NOTICES
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- RADIOACTIVE WASTE
- NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL MANSLAUGHTER LAWS
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- BUDGET
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AUSTRALIAN ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY BILL 2009
AUSTRALIAN ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY (TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS) BILL 2009 - SOCIAL SECURITY AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (WELFARE REFORM AND REINSTATEMENT OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ACT) BILL 2009
- HEALTH INSURANCE AMENDMENT (COMPLIANCE) BILL 2009
- COMMITTEES
- COMMITTEES
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COMMITTEES
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee
- Economics Legislation Committee
- Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee
- Economics Legislation Committee
- FAIRER PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE INCENTIVES BILL 2009 [NO. 2]
- NATIONAL CONSUMER CREDIT PROTECTION AMENDMENT BILL 2010
- BUSINESS
- NATIONAL HEALTH SECURITY AMENDMENT (BACKGROUND CHECKING) BILL 2009
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- AVIATION TRANSPORT SECURITY AMENDMENT (2009 MEASURES NO. 2) BILL 2009
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AUSTRALIAN ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY BILL 2009
AUSTRALIAN ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY (TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS) BILL 2009 - TAX LAWS AMENDMENT (POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND GIFTS) BILL 2008
- BUSINESS
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QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
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Home Insulation Program
(Cormann, Sen Mathias, Arbib, Sen Mark) -
National Broadband Network
(Forshaw, Sen Michael, Conroy, Sen Stephen) -
Home Insulation Program
(Birmingham, Sen Simon, Arbib, Sen Mark) -
Leaders Debate
(Brown, Sen Bob, Evans, Sen Chris (Leader of the Government in the Senate)) -
Green Loans Program
(Adams, Sen Judith, Wong, Sen Penny) -
Defence Capability Plan
(Collins, Sen Jacinta, Faulkner, Sen John) -
Asylum Seekers
(Humphries, Sen Gary, Evans, Sen Chris) -
Trade: Dumping Duties
(Xenophon, Sen Nick, Wong, Sen Penny) -
Transport
(Payne, Sen Marise, Evans, Sen Chris (Leader of the Government in the Senate), Evans, Sen Chris) -
Book Industry
(Furner, Sen Mark, Carr, Sen Kim)
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Home Insulation Program
- QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: ADDITIONAL ANSWERS
- QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS
- BUSINESS
- MARRIAGE EQUALITY AMENDMENT BILL 2009
- QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: ADDITIONAL ANSWERS
- COMMITTEES
- LEAVE OF ABSENCE
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- COMMITTEES
- COMMITTEES
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DOCUMENTS
- NBN Co. Ltd
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
- Consideration
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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- Wet Tropics Management Authority
- Australian Electoral Commission
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- Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
- Tourism Australia
- Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook
- Consideration
- COMMITTEES
- AUDITOR-GENERAL’S REPORTS
- ADJOURNMENT
- QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: ADDITIONAL ANSWERS
- ADJOURNMENT
- Adjournment
- DOCUMENTS
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QUESTIONS ON NOTICE
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Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
(Ronaldson, Sen Michael, Carr, Sen Kim) -
Prime Minister and Cabinet: Program Funding
(Ronaldson, Sen Michael, Evans, Sen Chris) -
Minister for Defence and Parliamentary Secretary: Hospitality
(Johnston, Sen David, Faulkner, Sen John) -
Defence: Reviews
(Johnston, Sen David, Faulkner, Sen John) -
Defence White Paper
(Johnston, Sen David, Faulkner, Sen John) -
Green Building Fund Program
(Abetz, Sen Eric, Carr, Sen Kim)
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Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
Page: 1239
Senator BOSWELL (3:57 PM)
—I would like to make a short contribution to the debate on the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2009. Today the Greens have put before the Senate a bill that would endorse and make legal same-sex marriages and would give them the same standing as a marriage between a man and a woman. I cannot support that, and neither can many of my constituents. That does not infer that I discriminate against same-sex couples; I certainly do not, but I do not believe you can have a marriage between a same-sex couple as you have between and a man and a woman. I come confidently into the Senate as a happily married man of 40 years standing to recognise marriage as an institution that can never be replaced or mimicked by a same-sex marriage. I had an email from one constituent that I thought covered it better than I could:
We both vehemently oppose such proposals—
meaning same-sex marriage. It continues:
We have taken seriously the commitments we made to “marriage”, which has required each of us to faithfully maintain various disciplines over a long period.
But if the definition of ‘marriage’ is broadened and blurred as proposed, it would make the commitment we have made appear to be of little significance. Consequently we would regard it as an insulting, invasive and unacceptable violation of our rights to now have our commitment massively devalued.
We will of course maintain our commitment. It has been and will continue to be of enormous value to us and now our 21 descendants, all of whom are also benefiting from making the same commitments. It is clear to us from this experience as well as from observing—
(Time expired)