The Opposition’s decision to allow its members to vote individually rather than as a party on changes to parenting legislation will not affect their passage through Parliament.
Last week NSW Shadow Attorney-General Greg Smith said some coalition MPs were concerned about a new Bill that recognises co-mothers as legal parents of children born through donor insemination (SX #378). The regulations will allow the child’s birth certificate to be amended.
Minister for Women Verity Firth branded the move “disappointing”.
“It’s disappointing that [leader of the NSW Liberal Party] Barry O’Farrell couldn’t make his party take a principled stand to end discrimination against same-sex parent families.”
The Australian Family Association is campaigning against the law reforms, but the Liberals’ conscience vote will not prevent the Bill’s passage through both chambers of Parliament. Labor and the Greens together hold 23 of 42 seats and will vote en bloc for the Bill.
The NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby are untroubled by the conscience vote. “Obviously it would be better if they supported it,” Co-Convenor Peter Johnson told SX. “But ... it’s better than if they decided to block it.”
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