Bracks rejects gay marriage push

June 08, 2006 VICTORIAN Premier Steve Bracks has rejected a push to allow gay civil unions in the state. Independent MP Andrew Olexander is drafting a private member's Bill on gay unions and hopes to table it in Parliament before the November state election. The Bill would need support from Labor – which controls both Houses – to be debated in Parliament.

Mr Bracks said his Government had already done much to remove discrimination against gays in state laws.

But he said he was not interested in supporting the gay union move, at least in the lead-up to this year's state poll. "That is not a matter on our agenda," he said. Instead his Government was "concentrating on the things which we believe are important" including improved services, the economy and quality of life, he said.

Mr Olexander, an Upper House MP and former Liberal, said it was up to Labor whether his Bill would even be debated. "That's the subject of a petition which is being circulating widely by myself and others right around Victoria," he told ABC Radio today.

Tags: Gay_Marriage Gay_Union Simon_Corbell John_Howard