MARRIAGE equality in Australia could be realised before the year is out, according to former state member for Dubbo and one-time leader of the Liberal Party, John Mason.
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Mr Mason, who was the Liberal MP for Dubbo from 1965 until 1981, returned to the city at the weekend to visit his daughter Bizzi and her partner Kris Stevens, and said marriage equality in Australia will follow swiftly on the heels of the Supreme court decision in the United States to extend marriage rights to all.
“I personally think it’s going to happen pretty quickly, particularly now that the Americans have now said every state. I’d say that’s going to have a big effect in the Australian parliament and I think you’ll find it’ll be a pretty quick vote,” Mr Mason said, adding that a vote could come as quickly as when parliament reconvenes in August.
“They [members of the federal parliament] are in recess at the moment.
“When they get back, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s one of the first pieces of legislation they bring up, that’s my own personal view.”
The former Methodist minister favours the French model of marriage equality, which requires every couple, same-sex or otherwise, to register their ‘relationship’, and leaves the option open for couples to be able to marry.
“I very much favour the French method, which has been proposed by some of the federal members,” Mr Mason said.
“The French system is that the registration of births, deaths and marriages, the registration of relationships in France is a state affair.
“If you want to enter into a relationship, the state registers it, if you want to get married in a church, you want to get married by somebody else, that’s what you do. The state recognises your relationship.”
“We’ve got to separate it out between religious views and the recognition by the state of the relationship. That means that everything that applies to a relationship still applies to male-male, female-female.”
Mr Mason said individual couples then had the freedom to celebrate their relationship in any way they like, including through a religious service.
His daughter Bizzi had her 12-year same-sex relationship with Kris Stevens recognised legally in New Zealand in 2009, and Ms Stevens said if they could, they would have had Mr Mason preside over a ceremony in Australia.
“I would have been very proud to do it,” Mr Mason said.
And he urged the Dubbo City Council to speak up in favour of marriage equality in Australia, on behalf of the Dubbo community.
“Of course they should. I think people in the community want this to happen,” Mr Mason said.
“I think we should all give them the human rights. I’d say it’s the right thing do.”
