08/08/2007
Australian PM John Howard to Get Gay Rights Petition from 25,000
This Wednesday or Thursday, Queensland federal Liberal MP Warren Entsch will deliver Australian Prime Minister John Howard a petition signed by 25,000 people demanding that the government end discrimination against same-sex couples.
The petition, organized by activist group Get Up! reads: "Same-sex couples should have the same legal rights as de facto heterosexual couples. I call upon you to make this first step towards equality by immediately legislating to end discrimination against same-sex couples."
The petition is being seen as a second push following the release of an official report in June from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission which highlighted basic financial entitlements, tax concessions and superannuation benefits that are denied to same-sex couples under current law.
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Posted 5:20 PM EST by Andy in Australia, Gay Rights, John Howard, News | Permalink
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I have always wondered....do they actually authenticate every single signature on petitions? how do they know that 25,000 people actually signed those petitions. I'm actually serious because it just seems so easy to fake names. I can't imagine some dude or even a staff having to sit there and authenticate all those names. that would suck.
Posted by: Inquiring Minds | Aug 8, 2007 5:36:33 PM
Bet you a dollar he doesn't look at it. Bet you two dollars the mainstream media here won't either.
Posted by: Sayke | Aug 8, 2007 5:56:02 PM
it won't work. John Howard is a fascist dressed up in australian sheeps' clothing. Hopefully in about 3 months he will be out of a job and can sit at home and rot slowly.
Posted by: simon | Aug 8, 2007 8:38:14 PM
You are not allowed to visit the United States if you are HIV positive. The Bush administration has unwisely decided to refused visas to people with HIV. Not much difference between racial discrimination or HIV discrimination. What happened to the Land Of Free?
Posted by: jake | Aug 8, 2007 8:59:11 PM
Howard looks like a troglodyte. I know, I'm remarkably shallow, so be it. He just looks so small, so furtive.
Posted by: dave | Aug 8, 2007 10:56:54 PM
GIVE ME A BREAK: I think we were much better off without any rights whatsoever in this country with police storming gay bars and so forth. That made gay life much more covert....it was all about secretly slamming the summer intern in the bathroom or initiating some twinky in the rambles in central park.....now that we are accepted everything is all out in the open, everyone is supposed to be in a relationship blah blah blah. I AM TAKING MY NEXT VACATION IN A COUNTRY THAT PERSECUTES GAYS SO EVERYTHING IS UNDER COVER!!!!
Posted by: tony the may | Aug 8, 2007 10:59:03 PM
"Bet you a dollar he doesn't look at it. Bet you two dollars the mainstream media here won't either."
I disagree. I think he'll look to see which side the ink's on before wiping his ass with it.
Posted by: Iko | Aug 8, 2007 11:48:40 PM
Thank god for people like Warren Entsch. Unfortunately in Australia there is very little public dissent within the two major parties. This often leads to issues like gay rights going unresolved even though there would have to be MANY people in both major parties who support ending discrimination. They just end up pandering to the bigots because it isn't a vote-swinger for the majority of the population.
I just wish Labor would get out there and speak up about these issues. Looking on the Labor policy page (http://alp.org.au/policy/index.php) I cannot find anything about gay rights, even though I know for a fact that their leader Kevin Rudd supports same-sex civil unions.
Posted by: Ned | Aug 9, 2007 12:01:34 AM
IKO: BLAH
NED: BLAH BLAH
IKO: BLAH BLAH BLAH
TONY THE TIGER: ECK.
Posted by: Tony the Tiger | Aug 9, 2007 1:32:37 AM
Howard is the master of wedge politics and non-core promises. He may pretend to support this petition (which I signed), but it will only be a cyncial wedge against the Labor opposition. He knows the 'realists' in Labor are desperate not to scare the electorate with anything remotely progressive, but that the 'idealists' will demand a stronger stand.
In any case, the only real hope for gay law reform in Australia is if Labor wins government and the Greens win the balance of power in the Senate. And the only chance of that happening at this election is if the Greens win a senate seat in ACT or Victoria. Here's hoping the ACT and Vic poofs and dykes get the message this time!
Posted by: Paul | Aug 9, 2007 3:13:43 AM
Howard is a right-wing redneck in a suit. He won't care how many people sign a petition.
Why bother with Howard when he won't last long because Keven Rudd will win the next election. Do you really think Howard will end discrimination in an ELECTION year? He wants conservatives to vote FOR him, and he won't get that by giving gays rights.
I think we should wait for Kevin Rudd to win, he has more of a social justice conscience than Howard could ever dream of.
Posted by: lou | Aug 9, 2007 4:53:06 AM
Both the Liberal and Labor parties in Australian Federal Politics are playing up to the conservative religious right in Australia. It'll be a third party group like the Greens who will likely introduce or swing the vote on this issue, since they're less afraid to stand up on questions of principle over realpolitik.
That said, there are lots of places where gay partnerships are recognised in Australia, such as for immigration, health benefits, superannuation, by virtue of a more generalised recognition of dependent relationships.
Posted by: Mike | Aug 9, 2007 5:12:55 AM
Why are they bothering with this??
He and his winged monkey Peter Costello will be out of office within months!
Posted by: stephen | Aug 9, 2007 7:24:28 AM
"That said, there are lots of places where gay partnerships are recognised in Australia, such as for immigration, health benefits, superannuation, by virtue of a more generalised recognition of dependent relationships."
Actually, Mike, gay partnerships are definitely NOT recognised in superannuation, even if your super company and your employer want them to be - more social control courtesy of the Howard Govt!
As for Rudd (who is a Christian), last night in a speech to Christian groups he said he doesn't support gay marriage, but does support civil unions. I couldn't give a flying fuck about gay marriage, but some goddam equality would be a great thing! Here's hoping he pummels the Coalition into the putrid pile of dust they really are.
Posted by: Paul | Aug 9, 2007 10:30:22 PM
Paul: I agree, it's not fully equal in the case of superannuation, but some steps have been made. The Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Choice of Superannuation Funds) Act of 2004 allowed same-sex couples to nominate their partner as an 'interdependant', thereby making them eligible to receive superannuation entitlements tax-free.
This step was forced on the government in return for the opposition swallowing the ban on gay marriage.
Posted by: Mike | Aug 10, 2007 4:31:06 AM