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Australians Back Same-Sex Civil Unions
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in Australia believe homosexual partnerships should be legally recognized, according to a Newspoll. 52 per cent of respondents believe the federal government should introduce a new law acknowledging same-sex relationships.
In August 2004, Australia amended the legal definition of marriage as being "exclusively between a man and a woman." Current regulations forbid homosexual couples from getting married in Australia, but some have done so in other nations and requested domestic courts to acknowledge their union. Same-sex marriage is currently legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Canada.
In December 2005, Australian prime minister John Howard expressed his views on same-sex partnerships, declaring, "I believe very strongly that marriage is exclusively a union for life of a man and a woman to the exclusion of others. That's the common understanding of marriage in the Judeo-Christian tradition, and I would be opposed to the recognition of civil unions."
Tasmania is currently the only Australian state that allows unwed and same-sex couples to enter registered partnerships and receive limited rights.
Polling Data
Do you agree or disagree? - "The federal government should introduce a new law that formally recognizes same-sex relationships."
Agree | 52% |
Disagree | 37% |
Not sure | 11% |
Source: Newspoll
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,139 Australian voters, conducted from Feb. 10 to Feb. 12, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
