Posts by Craig Ranapia
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Hard News: The Treasure at the End of…, in reply to Russell Brown,
Had the current large National caucus voted like that on marriage equality, the bill would have been lost.
Can't argue with the numbers there, Russell. :) But that would have been the case whether they were in the House or hooked off to the Backbencher after lodging their proxies.
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Hard News: The Treasure at the End of…, in reply to Sacha,
Yes, so a shame he and most of his colleagues were not in the chamber for the final reading.
I’ll repeat what I said up-thread on that score, Sacha. Judith Collins voted for marriage equality through all stages. Both pro- and anti-members weren’t in the chamber on Wednesday night, for the most part I don’t know (or pragmatically much care) whether they were at long-standing ministerial/electorate engagement or tucked up in front of the telly watching Elementary. I don't care because proxy votes aren't counted differently from those cast in situ.
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Hard News: The Treasure at the End of…, in reply to Grant McDougall,
Regarding Gillard, it’s a numbers game. She’s a got a majority of precisely one and is loath to risk it.
Nah, that pass is well and truly expired. Gillard is making much play of the ALP giving it's caucus a conscience vote on Marriage Equality when it's (rightly) a convenient stick to beat Tony Abbott and the Libs with.
But you don't get to have it both ways, Julia. And nobody gets to rule it out of order to point out where Gillard stood when her own conscience was put to the test. It wouldn't have won the day, but as Russell says in the OP symbols matter too. I sure as shit think Wall's bill would probably have passed without our Prime Minister's support at every stage, but it sure send a message to undecideds in caucus, the party, media and the general public.
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Hard News: The Treasure at the End of…, in reply to Mathea Roorda,
I never thought this would happen in my lifetime, and who would have thought it would happen under this Government?
Easily. No government controls private members bills - which is kinda sorta the point of having them at all. I'd also note the Human Rights Amendment Act, 1993, was passed with a overwhelming bipartisan majority under the previous National Government. Associate Health Minister Katherine O'Reagan (whose name the bill was under) and Labour's then health spokeswoman, Lianne Dalziel don't get the credit they deserve for making that happen.
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Hard News: The Treasure at the End of…, in reply to Lucy Stewart,
I loved Aaron Johnson and Sam Taylor-Wood's elegant work around when they got married last year. They both changed their surnames to Taylor-Johnson and anyone who's got a problem with that gets (rightly) treated with studied insolence. :)
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Hard News: The Treasure at the End of…, in reply to steve black,
I feel proud that this has finally made it into law, but that is tinged with a bit of sadness that our friends across the ditch have practically no chance of following suit when Captain Catholic and the Conservatives get back into power. *sigh*
Steve: I don’t want to harsh anyone’s mellow here (and I don’t have Tone Sheriff privileges around these here parts), but please be mindful about using faith-based generalizations. Tony Abbott’s problem isn’t that he’s a Catholic. It’s that he’s a vindictive tit-mouse whose brain is apparently impermeable to facts or empathy.
But on the subject of marriage equality in Australia, isn’t it so awesome Julia Gillard’s response to last night was a big bag of "yeah whatever"? I’ll also note that when her conscience was put to the test, she went and stood next to Abbott. Compare and contrast our Prime Minister’s three-for-three record. Cringe according to taste.
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Hard News: The Treasure at the End of…, in reply to Tristan,
That tells me all I need to know about her..
What, like Collins voted for marriage equality at all stages? (And some of the stories I’ve heard about the lobbying both she her Pasifika husband where subjected to? Well, I really hope they’re not true.)
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Hard News: The Treasure at the End of…, in reply to Sacha,
To continue the warm fuzzy glow of bipartisan amity, I heartily concur with the sentiment of my honourable friend.
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But for now, know this: all over the world, right now, people are watching our Parliament mark the passage of this important, symbolic bill in a manner that was beautiful, moving, precious and thoroughly our own.
True that – but it would have been awesome if Parliament had busted out Nga Iwi E ( instrumental coverhere by The Yoots)
Titiro e nga iwi e nga mahi o te motu
E hora atu nei e
Rū ana te whenua, whatiwhati te moana
Aue te aroha te mamae i ahau e.Still gives me the good shivers every damn time. “See our people working on the lad, spread far and wide. The earth trembles, the sea parts. Oh, the love, the sorrow in my heart!”
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Up Front: Gathered Together, in reply to Raymond A Francis,
On the other hand I wonder just how may same sex marriages there will be as apparently not may went into Civil Unions
But as Maryan Street eloquently put it, that's not really the point. Speaking for myself, I've got zero interest in getting all Beyonce on anyone's arse. Put a ring on it, or don't. Become a CUP-cake, or don't. Live in sinful bliss or stage your own private production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, or don't. Do any or all or none of the above, with or without benefit of clergy (or other appropriate spiritual personage) as you see fit.
But don't you dare presume to make the choice for me. All I want is genuine equality before the civil law. Nothing more. Nothing less.
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