ALP national conference round-up

What really happened regarding the push for same-sex marriage?

Despite the spin of Labor and some Christian commentators to try and put a positive note on the conference outcome regarding marriage, things are not as good as one might think.

Mr Rudd stated at the start of the conference he did not want any changes to Labor's position on relationship recognition, but clearly recognised cosmetic changes could be required to stave off the major push being mounted by homosexual activists and their supporters within the Party.

Although the results might look 'cosmetic' they are far from it in reality. The implication once again is that while a leader may hold a certain position there are no guarantees they will get what they want.

Senior Cabinet Minister Anthony Albanese is reported as saying 'it was a compromise that would satisfy no one but the status quo [Rudd's favoured position] of relationship recognition had failed.'

He also said the compromise brought the issue forward and the debate would continue until gay and lesbian Australians had full equality: "Labor values are that all people are born equal regardless of their sexuality".

In fact, the new ALP policy on same-sex 'relationships' now leaves a lot to be desired:

Three important things were REMOVED from the platform last Saturday:

• The statement that Labor believes 'Marriage is between a man & a woman' has GONE.
• The words 'Relationship Registers' have been removed - the policy now talks of a 'national framework' and a review of 'relationship recognition arrangements' to make them consistent across Australia.
• The words "not mimic marriage" were removed in relation to those 'acceptable other forms of legal recognition'.

In addition, the Conference passed a motion that said Labor, "formally opposed state laws that discriminate against lesbian, single and unmarried women in access to reproductive technologies such as IVF."

Labor's inconsistency is astounding - how can Labor say they will 'remove all discrimination from Commonwealth legislation' and yet leave the 'Marriage Act' intact when it directly discriminates against same-sex and other relationships?

Naturally the lie perpetuated by the Labor policy is that all discrimination is wrong when it is not. It is right to discriminate against those things that are unnatural and immoral such as same-sex relationships and any other sexual relationships outside marriage.

All in all, this Labor conference has moved the nation closer to the day when unnatural same-sex 'marriage' becomes a reality.