RUDD ANGERS LEFT ON GAY MARRIAGE

UNCLAS CANBERRA 000461 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI AS SUBJECT: RUDD ANGERS LEFT ON GAY MARRIAGE ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Rudd government, exercising the Federal Government's power to override territory laws, has forced the left-leaning Australian Labor Party (ALP) government of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) to abandon plans to allow "civil unions" for same-sex couples. The Rudd government had made it clear to the ACT government that it would do so on this issue because it viewed the proposal as mimicking marriage, which is a Federal responsibility and is defined by legislation as being exclusively between a man and a woman. The Government's intervention in this matter demonstrates Rudd's social conservatism, and his political determination to hold onto the ALP's increased share of the conservative religious vote and not be "wedged" on contentious social issues. END SUMMARY. RUDD SAYS NO AND ACT GOVERNMENT EXPLODES ¶2. (U) A disappointed ACT Attorney-General announced May 4 that the Federal Government had advised him that it would override the proposed civil union laws if enacted. The main sticking point for the Government was the provision for a ceremony in the ACT bill, which would have made the union too much like a marriage. Apparently, the ACT Government will amend its legislation to provide for a form of "civil partnerships," similar to the registration scheme currently available in Tasmania. The ACT Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope, called the Federal Government's action a "dreadful day for the Australian Labor Party" and the ACT Attorney General said the Rudd Government's position was "hypocritical" and "appalling," and demonstrated that the Rudd government was "beholden to the extreme right of the Christian lobby of Australia." Australian Christian Lobby managing director Jim Wallace said: "I think (the Rudd Government) will receive the appreciation of the great majority of the Christian constituency and the churches." HISTORY ¶3. (U) In 2006, the ACT Government passed its Civil Partnerships Bill to allow same-sex couples to engage in legally recognized relationships. Soon after, acting under the federal legislation that gave the ACT self government, the Howard government overrode the legislation, claiming it emulated marriage, which is a Federal responsibility and is defined in the Marriage Act as being exclusively between a man and a woman. In response, the Kim Beazley-led ALP Opposition, decrying Howard's intervention as "sectarian hate politics" unsuccessfully voted in the Senate to disallow the Commonwealth's intervention. After Rudd was elected in November, the ACT Government was understandably hopeful that it could successfully revisit the issue. At the Federal level, the Rudd government, with bi-partisan support, had already begun to remove discrimination against same-sex couples in areas such as superannuation (retirement benefits) and welfare benefits. RUDD KEEPS THE FAITH ¶4. (SBU) COMMENT: While most Australians appear to support equal financial rights for same-sex couples, they are uneasy with gay marriage, gay adoption and gay IVF. During the election campaign, when Rudd discussed religious values, it was generally in terms of social justice for workers and the less fortunate. This was amenable to the secular left-wing of his party, particularly in the context of the WorkChoices debate. However, he had also made it clear before the election that he opposed gay marriage and would not accept civil union schemes which mimicked marriage. This action by Rudd can be seen as another example of his backing the ALP's socially conservative "battler" constituency over its Qsocially conservative "battler" constituency over its inner-city progressives. MCCALLUM