Australian PM says no to gay marriage

CANBERRA – Prime Minister John Howard stood firm against gay marriage yesterday as an opinion poll revealed that 71 per cent of Australians believe that same-sex partners should have the same legal rights as common-law heterosexual couples.

“We are not in favour of discrimination, but of course our views on the nature of marriage in our community are very well known and they won’t be changing,” Howard told Sky television. Hours after the interview, the government’s chief discrimination watchdog released a report that condemned 58 federal laws for discriminating against same-sex couples in the areas of financial and work-related entitlements.Howard’s centre-right government amended federal law in 2004 to ensure that gay and lesbian couples cannot legally marry and to close any potential room for a legal challenge to the ban.Gay groups accused Howard of prejudice, and also attacked his recent statements that Australia should shut its door to immigrants who are HIV-positive.An independent human rights group, GetUp!, released a poll yesterday that showed 71 per cent of Australians agreed that same-sex couples should have the same legal rights as heterosexual partners in common-law marriages, while 23 per cent disagreed.The national random telephone survey conducted by Galaxy Research on June 16-17 of 1 100 Australians over the age of 16 had a 2,7 percentage point margin of error.”Australians don’t want their gay friends and family to feel like second-class citizens,” GetUp! executive director Brett Solomon said.With elections due late this year and Howard’s government trailing in opinion polls, Solomon said granting rights to same-sex couples is an “electoral necessity.”The main opposition Labour party supported the ban on gay marriage.Nampa-APHours after the interview, the government’s chief discrimination watchdog released a report that condemned 58 federal laws for discriminating against same-sex couples in the areas of financial and work-related entitlements.Howard’s centre-right government amended federal law in 2004 to ensure that gay and lesbian couples cannot legally marry and to close any potential room for a legal challenge to the ban.Gay groups accused Howard of prejudice, and also attacked his recent statements that Australia should shut its door to immigrants who are HIV-positive.An independent human rights group, GetUp!, released a poll yesterday that showed 71 per cent of Australians agreed that same-sex couples should have the same legal rights as heterosexual partners in common-law marriages, while 23 per cent disagreed.The national random telephone survey conducted by Galaxy Research on June 16-17 of 1 100 Australians over the age of 16 had a 2,7 percentage point margin of error.”Australians don’t want their gay friends and family to feel like second-class citizens,” GetUp! executive director Brett Solomon said.With elections due late this year and Howard’s government trailing in opinion polls, Solomon said granting rights to same-sex couples is an “electoral necessity.”The main opposition Labour party supported the ban on gay marriage.Nampa-AP