Society

Relationships Register erodes the institution of marriage

The NSW Government is seeking to introduce legislation to create a Relationships Register making it easier for committed unmarried couples to access legal entitlements and prove they are in committed or de facto relationships.

Attorney-General John Hatzistergos said the NSW Register will be modelled on key aspects of registers already in place in the ACT, Victoria and Tasmania.

According to the Attorney-General, the register will not provide for civil unions, but will reflect the serious commitment made by couples who choose to register their relationship. “Couples will need to be able to prove they are eligible to be included on the Register and can have the registration terminated if the relationship dissolves”, he said.

To be able to register a relationship on the Relationships Register: couples must be in a committed, exclusive relationship; couples must not be married or in another relationship that is registered or registrable; couples must be 18 years of age or older; and one person must be a resident of NSW.

According to Dr Gordon Moyes, Parliamentary Leader of Family First NSW, the establishment of a relationships register will further undermine the institution of marriage. Although supporting the removal of barriers faced by unmarried and same sex couples, Dr Moyes said “The Government is sugar-coating this move by saying it will remove discrimination and injustice for same-sex couples. But there is already adequate protection for their rights under all the laws protecting de-facto relationship whether same-sex or different partnerships. Having the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages administer the relationship register is just an attempt to have a back door marriage.”

According to Chris Meney, Director of the Life, Marriage and Family Centre for the Sydney Catholic Archdiocese, there appears to be a “deliberate reluctance” by some of our senior parliamentary representatives to incorporate provisions for ‘caring’ relationships as recommended by the NSW Law Reform Commission, and as reflected in legislation in Tasmania and Victoria.

Mr Meney commented, “This would seem to suggest that this Bill is not really about enabling persons who have shared mutual interests to have their relationships acknowledged. There appears to be a much more deliberate focus on striving to provide for momentum for the progression of a same sex agenda.”

Dr Moyes added, “The marriage of a man and a woman, to the exclusion of all others, is much more than a private emotional relationship - it is also a social good. While not all marriages thrive, research confirms that married people live longer and are healthier, wealthier and more satisfied with their lives than their cohabiting or single peers. Their children also have better health, they do better at school and are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. At Family First we are committed to promoting and preserving marriage as the essential foundation of strong marriages and communities.”

When the legislation is introduced in the NSW Legislative Council next week, Dr Gordon Moyes will strongly oppose the Relationships Register Bill 2010.

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