MEDIA RELEASE:
Rally for ceremonies in ACT this Saturday
Equal Love Canberra
http://equallove.info/act
For immediate release: 4 November 2009
Residents of the ACT will rally this Saturday, 1pm in Garema Place to support a bill that will add the option of official ceremonies to civil partnership legislation. The bill, already tabled in the ACT Legislative Assembly, is due to be debated and voted on next Wednesday, 11 November. It is unclear whether the Federal Government will choose to override it.
The ACT Government, led by Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, has already declared they will support for the addition of official ceremonies. The Greens MLA sponsoring the bill, speaker Shane Rattenbury, will speak at the rally on Saturday, along with other prominent community representatives.
John Kloprogge of Equal Love Canberra said the Federal Government has no legitimate reason to overturn the bill.
“Since the Labor Party softened their policy on relationship schemes at the most recent National Conference, the Prime Minister has no legitimate grounds on which to override the ACT’s plans for official ceremonies”, Kloprogge said.
“There will be immense pressure on the Federal Government – both within the Labor Party and in the wider community – not to intervene. Australians have moved on, and so should the Rudd Government,” Kloprogge said.
“The Bill will recognise the basic human desire for a couple to celebrate their love for one another, regardless of their sexuality,” Kloprogge said.
“The ACT Government has a democratic right to legislate for equality – without being intimidated by the Federal Government,” Kloprogge said.
Kloprogge stressed that the bill will not introduce “same-sex marriage”, as marriage laws were the preserve of the federal government.
The ACT proposal comes roughly a month after it was announced that Tasmanian couples would be able to celebrate their unions through an official ceremony.
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MEDIA CONTACT: John Kloprogge, 0422 913 942. Farida Iqbal 0412 109 160. act@equallove.info
RALLY DETAILS: Saturday 7 November, 1pm. Garema Place (main stage), Civic.
