Hansard debates

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Mr WATT (Burwood) — I rise to speak on the Adoption Amendment (Adoption by Same-Sex Couples) Bill 2015. I am only going to make a brief contribution, but I want to put on the record that I am disappointed at the fact that I am only going to be able to make a short contribution, which is not going to reflect my true feelings across the whole debate.

However, I will make a couple of points. My niece and her partner have rights in Western Australia that she would not have if she and her girlfriend were in Victoria. That is not right and that should be fixed. I put that on the record. I have friends in Victoria who are homosexuals. I have no personal issue with whomever people may choose as a partner. But let me make the point that I do have an issue with the government curtailing debate in here. I also have issues with the government actually turning around and saying that equality is not negotiable but religious freedom is.

Clause 17 of this bill is a disgrace. I have previously been a member of the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee (SARC), which is a government-dominated committee of which you, Acting Speaker, are a member. SARC has made as critical a report as it could have of a government bill. Given that it is a government-dominated committee, it could not be more critical of the bill. Clearly every member of SARC has supported the report because there is no minority report. All members of SARC clearly have said that clause 17 is a disgrace, which I believe to be the case as well.

I listened to the contribution of the member for Pascoe Vale intently, and I agreed with most of what she said, but I find it disappointing that it appears to me as though she is not able to vote in the way she believes she should. Perhaps I am putting words into her mouth, but I am sure she does not like clause 17. I note also that the government is not allowing members on its side a free vote on this bill. Members say equality is not negotiable, yet you still get a free vote on same-sex marriage in the federal Parliament. You cannot have it both ways — you cannot say it is not negotiable and then accept federally that it is.

There are three points I would like to make. Religious freedoms are respected in all the other states that have introduced bills along these lines; it is just here in Victoria that the Labor Party is trying to trample on religious freedoms. Many people have mentioned article 18 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states:

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

It is in the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities and was put there by the Labor Party. It is a disgrace, quite frankly, that I do not have enough time to continue to talk about my feelings on this. I cannot, will not, support a bill that tramples on religious freedoms, and I hope that other members on the other side will stand up for religious freedoms, as I know many of them believe they should.