Australia } Government To Clear Roadblocks for Gays to Marry Overseas

Kerryn Phelps
Gay rights activist and former Australian Medical Association president Dr Kerryn Phelps lobbied Labor on gay marriage and has had a win on same-sex marriages overseas. Picture: Dan Himbrechts Source: The Australian 
The Labor Party conference changed its platform at the weekend to allow Certificates of No Impediment, required by many overseas jurisdictions, to be issued to same-sex couples.
The change was contained in the reworked foreign affairs policy drafted by Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, who has been personally opposed to same-sex marriage.
The Attorney-General's Department is currently drafting changes to allow the change to go ahead,
West Australian Labor senator Louise Pratt, a gay marriage proponent, said she was in negotiations with Attorney-General Robert McClelland on the matter.
“We have started discussions and it shouldn't take a long time to get into place in our expectation,” Senator Pratt told The Australian Online. 
Previously, same-sex couples who have tried to tie the knot overseas have been left disappointed, with countries unable to validate their union without a CNI from the Attorney-General.
“It was a bit of a shock to couples but hopefully those days will be behind them,” Senator Pratt told ABC Radio.
“There is no reason now for CNIs not to be issued now to same-sex couples wishing to get married overseas.”
Senator Pratt's comments follow those of fellow Labor Senator Penny Wong, who said the changes to the Labor platform were “historic”.
Labor also amended its platform to advocate same-sex marriage, with the party's MPs to be allowed a conscience vote on the issue in federal parliament.
“It's a historic change to the platform and we should recognise that,” Senator Wong said.
“We've never had this equality enshrined in Labor's platform and we now do.”
Gay rights activist and former Australian Medical Association president Kerryn Phelps she and her long-term partner were able to marry in New York in September after the US state waived “discriminatory” CNI requirements.
Professor Phelps wrote to Mr Rudd and Mr McClelland earlier this year asking for the issue of CNIs to be addressed.
“It's excellent that the policy has changed and situation has now changed,” Professor Phelps told The Australian Online.
“Our understanding is it's a policy, not legislation, so it could be implemented very soon without the need to go through parliament.”

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