The
Catholic Weekly
Online

Sydney
21 September 2003

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Heaven scent floral feast

Welcome strangers’ call

Bishops: Fight racism

Bishop Mayne dies at 75

Senate ‘yes’ to gay bid

Benedictine nuns gather in Sydney

Tears of joy at Marriage Sunday Mass

Donor club

His Holiness, the poet

Concert to mark Pope’s jubilee

It’s ‘weakness of faith’

Still a need for Catholic voice: Dr Pell

Editorial: Spectre of fear

Letters: Christian values

Conversation: Amanda McKenna, Catholic singer and songwriter - ‘God’s messenger’ on a journey of faith

Opintion: ‘Good mother of all ...’

Voice of Youth: ‘Most wonderful day’

Insights: Biblical ancestors?

Religious: Spirit-ualities are everywhere

North American, Irish, Australian sisters in historic Loreto reunion

Education: Decade a day at school

Social Work degree course at Strathfield

Balmain kids hit right note

Catechism: Daytime course

New bishops ‘help God’s light shine in darkness’

Capacity to forgive ...

‘Heroic witness’ to the Gospel of hope

‘Kids worth dying for’

Inspirations: ‘Schoolies’ faith patrol

Senate ‘yes’ to gay bid

By Chris Lindsay

The Senate has approved the ‘right’ of a homosexual man to receive a war widow’s pension following the death of his partner, but this view is unlikely to become law in the foreseeable future.

A motion that this was “the opinion of the Senate” was moved by gay activist Democrat Senator Brian Greig and passed 32 votes to 31 with support from the Greens and Labor.

However, it was opposed by the Government which presupposes it would be rejected in the House of Representatives if presented as legislation.

The issue arose after the Government refused to grant a pension to a man named Edward Young after the death of his war veteran partner of 38 years.

Mr Young appealed to the UN Human Rights Committee which found the Australian government in breach of its obligations under article 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights for failing to recognise rights on the basis of sexual orientation.

Dr Warwick Neville, research fellow with the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said the motion came as a surprise.

“It is part of an on-going campaign by Greig, who is a homosexual activist,” Dr Neville said. “On every possible occasion he has something to say about the gay and lesbian agenda.

“But on this occasion it was much more focused because of the UN Commission ruling. There are no legislative or legal implications in terms of any formal type of response to the motion, but nevertheless the view is now ‘out there’ and has received a kind of recognition.”

Mr Neville said UN rulings in the past had had legal ramifications here.

“In 1994, because of a similar ruling from a similar body, the Federal Labor Government, based on inconsistencies between the Tasmanian Criminal Code and international legal instrumentalities, passed legislation that overrode Tasmanian law that made sodomy and other acts crimes,” he said.

“The only way the UN ruling would have any effect would be if a legislature did something about it, and since the federal government was opposed to the motion that is not likely to happen.”

National Party Senator Ron Boswell said the government would not be influenced by UN sub-committees or by minority groups on this issue.

“The problem is people in the community are likely to say this issue can’t be too bad if the Senate has agreed to it,” he said.

Yes votes: Allison, LF; Bartlett, AJJ; Bishop, TM; Bolkus, N; Brown, BJ; Buckland, G; Campbell, G; Carr, KJ; Cherry, JC; Collins, JMA; Cook, PFS; Crossin, PM; Denman, KJ; Evans, CV; Forshaw, MG; Greig, B; Hogg, JJ; Hutchins, SP; Kirk, L; Lees, MH; Lundy, KA; Marshall, G; Moore, C; Murray, AJM; Nettle, K; Ray, RF; Ridgeway, AD; Sherry, NJ; Stephens, U; Stott Despoja, N; Webber, R.; Wong, P.