New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has thrown his support behind the controversial Equality Bill introduced to the state’s Parliament by independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
If passed, the Equality Bill would – among other things – allow any person in NSW to change the sex on their birth certificate without any medical or psychological intervention and open the door to commercial surrogacy.
On the weekend, Mr Greenwich announced that he would make a significant number of amendments to his bill in order to placate objectors.
This included the removal of any changes to anti-discrimination law, as well as highly controversial proposals to allow children to access puberty blockers without parental consent and permit solicitation by prostitutes outside schools and churches.
While this meant that the most extreme aspects of the bill would be removed, several contentious items remain.
The most disputed of these is the push for sex self-identification, which is opposed not only by the faith communities but has brought together an otherwise-unlikely group of allies, including Women’s Forum Australia, the Feminist Legal Centre, Australian Feminists for Women’s Rights, the LGB Alliance, the Human Rights Law Alliance, Genspect Australia, the Australian Christian Lobby and Intersex Human Rights Australia.
Premier Minns used a preschool opening in the southwestern suburb of Liverpool to affirm his support for the bill.
“Alex Greenwich’s amended equality bill, I think, should pass the Parliament. That’s what I’ll be recommending,” Mr Minns said.
Liberal MPs will be denied a conscience vote on the issue with the Coalition set to oppose the bill, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. At least one Liberal MP, Felicity Wilson, is expected to cross the floor to vote in favour of the bill.
Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has encouraged the faithful to make their opposition to the bill known by contacting their MP at contactyourmp.org.au.
FULL STORY
Premier backs urgent push for contentious bill (By Monica Doumit, The Catholic Weekly)
‘No choice’: Lone Liberal MP to cross the floor after party denies conscience vote (By Alexandra Smith, Sydney Morning Herald)
