Australian PM Dismisses Opposition To Tough Stand On Gay Marriage

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/02/020706ozUnions.htm

Australian Prime Minister John Howard is fighting back against opposition within his own party over his refusal to support either same-sex civil marriage or civil partnerships.

"Mate, I am sorry. I just disagree with you," Howard told Liberal MP Warren Entsch at a caucus meeting on Monday.

On the surface Entsch would seem an unlikely champion of LGBT rights. A former crocodile farmer from the far north Queensland who rides Harleys and spouts some of the most colorful language in Parliament, Entsch was pressing Howard to support civil partnerships, similar to those in the UK.

"I've got no issue with my own sexuality — I'm fiercely heterosexual — but I will defend (same-sex couples') rights to any extent to ensure people in that situation are fairly treated," Entsch told The Age newspaper following the party meeting.

[Maat]

1. Good for Entsch!

He gets it.

[sui generis]

2. yeah Prime Ministers and Presidents

seem to think that being head administrator means a term as Absolute Monarch.

What the fuck do these jackasses think representative government is anyway? Representation of just SOME of the people? Oh yeah, that's what conservatives think.

[foreigncorrespondent]

3. There was a poll done here in Oz...

...soon after the civil unions took place in December in the U.K. Basically the results of that poll showed that the majority of Australians support civil unions for same sex couples. That is the only reason so many in Howard's own party are trying to get him to change his stance on this issue. They want to keep their jobs, but realize Howard may retire after the next election if (and that is a big if) he wins it.

On edit: typo