(CPOD) Jun. 15, 2004 - Legal recognition for gay and lesbian partners is splitting views in Australia, according to a Newspoll released by SBS World News. 38 per cent of respondents say same-sex couples should be given the same rights to marry as couples consisting of a man and a woman, while 44 per cent disagree.

Last month, Australian prime minister John Howard asked Parliament to amend existing laws to specify that marriage should be exclusive to a man and a woman, and also to ban gay and lesbian couples from adopting foreign children.

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.

Howard also announced last month that same-sex partners would be recognized as financially dependent partners, meaning they would be able to access state-paid pensions after a partner's death.

Polling Data

Thinking now about gay marriages, that is same sex marriages either between two men, or between two women. Are you personally in favour or against same sex couples being given the same rights to marry as couples consisting of a man and a woman?

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