Australian Marriage Equality (AME)
has written today to all members of
the federal parliament asking them
to sign its Charter of Equality.
The
charter states that discrimination
has no place under Australian law
and that all Australians should have
the same right to marry and to have
that marriage legally recognised
regardless of their gender or
sexuality.
It
affirms that couples in same-sex
relationships and their families
deserve the same benefits,
protections and status offered by
legal marriage and provided to other
Australian families.
By
signing the charter, an MP makes a
commitment to voting in favour of
legislation to extend equal marriage
rights to all Australians when next
introduced into the Commonwealth
Parliament.
"The Charter allows MPs to publicly
declare that they will place the
fundamental human right to equal
legal treatment above petty partisan
politics", said AME national
convener, Peter Furness.
"Marriage goes right to the heart of
the question of how Australia values
its gay and lesbian members: we are
either equal citizens in this
country or we are not.
"MPs who sign the Charter of
Equality will demonstrate a genuine
commitment to a fair go for all
Australians", said Peter Furness.
As signatures to the Charter from
MPs are received, AME we will list
them on its website.
The
mail out to federal MPs coincides
with meetings this week between
members of the Australian Coalition
for Equality and certain progressive
Liberal MPs and senior staff within
the Prime Minister's Office.
