There was a small news article the other day – well, more like a Yahoo blurb really – about how government surveys show more than two-thirds of all Australians either approve of or simply have no problem with the concept of gay marriage. Apparently it’s not just lip service because the above notice has, without fanfare, quietly appeared on the official gov.au.com website.
For those unfamiliar with the workings of the Oz Government, Centrelink is the main clearing house for all services and benefits (ie employment, unemployment, assistance, welfare, pension), representing both state and federal programs under one roof. It’s a very convenient system.
I must confess ignorance at knowing how this decision came about – if it was voted on by the general public, parliament or mandated by the current administration. I don’t recall any recent public debate or discussion, and yet here it is: Acknowledgement on a federal level that whatever your sexual proclivity, two people living together will enjoy all the rights and benefits of any other couple.
How good is that.
Australia has, unfortunately, it’s share of gay-bashings, usually instigated by mixing narrow-minded bigots with large amounts of alcohol on a too-hot Friday night, but overall the general public is pretty tolerant of personal choices. The whole country reminds me of the cultural climate of San Francisco in the mid 1900’s. Friendly, tolerant, neighbourly. It was just a lovely place to live.
So while it may not look like it amidst all the negative press we endure daily from sources like Fox News or the ignorant commentaries that spew forth from people like Sarah Palin, if you can just take a step back and look at the whole picture – really, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Sarah Palin are in a shrinking minority.
The world is growing up in spite of them.
It’s a great time to be alive.
June 18, 2009 at 6:40 am
This is very good news! And here I thought that the Australian government was just a mini-GWBush regime!
June 18, 2009 at 8:21 am
Yay for Aussies!!! Do you remember when South Oz had an openly gay prime minister? He’d open parliament in hot pants and his musclebound young stud of a boyfriend would pick him up from the state offices after work!
June 29, 2009 at 8:09 am
Thank you for bringing that to my attention. It makes me feel very proud to be an aussie. I think there probably are elements of gay hysteria around, but would also agree that, for the most part people are pretty tolerant.
Dave – that South Australian premier’s name was Don Dunstan.
Ennealogic – yes your assessment of our government was accurate, but that was our previous administration. Like you, we too have had an election, and we removed our George Bush clone, John Howard – our current Prime Minister is Kevin Rudd.
June 29, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I’m sorry to burst your balloon but from a conversation I had with someone at Christmas last year I got the impression that this has a completely different focus. Apparently for years unmarried Centrelink recipients have been asked which “members of the opposite sex” stay overnight at their houses (showing Centrelink’s prurient interest in peoples’ sex lives). Gay folks, of course, never had to answer questions about the opposite sex.
I will have to make a point of finding out what’s changed. Will Centrelink go straight to the point and ask people who sleeps in their bed? Or what kind of sex they have and with whom?
It’s creepy, isn’t it?
Aussie Blue Sky: I’ve been in a de facto marriage for almost eleven years now. During this time my husband has had and survived rwo heart attacks. During those times, while the Australian Federal Government has addressed us as ‘man and wife’, calling our relationship a ‘de facto marriage’, the Qld government refers to us as ‘partners’ and both times my ‘partner’ was in hospital I had to jump through hoops with hospital staff and doctors getting information and visitations organized.
Tomorrow, my husband and I will be registering our ‘relationship’ at Centrelink. We’re making a day of it. I’m armed with a list of questions and will be happy to report on those in the next few days.
I understand how some might perceive past/present questions on government forms as ‘creepy’ but you do realize there are folks out there fully prepared to rort the system meant to aid those in need and who qualify for certain benefits. And at least the creepy questions have been asked here – in other countries local. state and federal governments simply stick their heads in the sand and pretend the world has not changed in a few thousand years. – Thanks for posting – OzMud
June 30, 2009 at 12:43 am
Eeek. I haven’t had any real experience with Centrelink to tell you the truth. But I know my own kids who have lived with their partners while studying at university, have had to answer questions relating to relationships which I think is so tacky. If they were seen to be “in a relationship” (defacto) then they would have to have a review of their Youth Allowance payments. So of course they all lied about it in order to maintain their “single” status and receive more money. I think it stinks.