Anger as gay civil union ban upheld

ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell has lashed out at the Senate decision to reject a move to overturn the federal ban on civil union laws, describing it homophobic. Senators today voted 32-30 to reject the motion which would have reversed the federal government's ban on the ACT law.

"I am disappointed by the decision, but not surprised,'' Mr Corbell said. "It is a homophobic decision.''

Mr Corbell supported the historic decision of Liberal senator Gary Humphries to cross the floor.

"I welcome his decision to support the right of the territory to make laws that affect our community.''

The ACT will now look to create a new act, but Mr Corbell warned it will not be watering down the intention of the original law. "It's still our intention to give the same level of recognition provided for in the Civil Unions Act,'' Mr Corbell said. The ban on the ACT's civil unions law remains in place after Labor and the minor parties lost their bid in the Senate to reverse it.

Senators voted 32-30 to reject a motion which would have disallowed a regulation signed yesterday by Governor-General Michael Jeffery at the instigation of Attorney General Philip Ruddock. That allowed the federal government to exert its constitutional power to overturn the ACT civil unions legislation.

ACT Liberal senator Gary Humphries crossed the floor to vote with the opposition and minor parties against his own colleagues. That made him the first Liberal senator to vote against the government in its 10 years in office.

However Family First Senator Steve Fielding voted with the government, giving it the numbers to comfortably defeat the motion.