QLD REINTRODUCES DISCRIMINATORY ADOPTION BILL

By Stephen Page

Harrington Family Lawyers

The Bligh Government has reintroduced a discriminatory Adoption Bill to State Parliament, which will make it easier for heterosexual couples to adopt, while excluding gay and lesbian couples.

The Bill had been introduced before the last election, but did not have the opportunity to pass, with Parliament being dissolved once the election was called. The previous minister Margaret Keech described the earlier Bill as “world leading”.

“Queenslanders have clearly told us the current adoption laws are not fair, we have listened, and we are responding with significant reform,” Keech said in a statement. “These reforms are in line with the Bligh Government's vision for a fairer Queensland.”

Unfortunately, the Bligh Government's vision for a fairer Queensland does not seem to include the LGBT community.

The new Bill has been submitted unchanged and actively discriminates against same sex couples. It provides that the Anti-Discrimination Act is not to apply, and also says that adopters can be married or de facto couples who have been together for two years or more- but couples have to be heterosexual.

The Bill says that a prospective adoptive parent must have a spouse of 2 years or more who “is not the same gender as the person.”

Child Safety Minister Phil Reeves said that the Bill, “which reflects contemporary community standards”, “comprehensively reforms and modernises Queensland's 40 year old adoption laws”.

“Another important and contemporary reform introduced by the Bligh government is that eligibility to lodge expressions of interest will no longer be limited to married couples. Instead, eligibility will be opened up to de facto couples who have been in a committed relationship for at least two years,” Mr Reeves said.

There has been no explanation as to why the Bill discriminates.