The Minister for Community Services Linda Burney has announced that the NSW Government will not change the law to allow same sex couples to adopt children because of a lack of community support.
Christians who fought hard to preserve the status quo have expressed delight with the decision. There were a significant number of submissions as well as thousands of signatures on petitions opposing a change in the law. The committee was divided on the issue, but the minority report took into account the best interests of the child in opposing the proposed law change.
Dr Gordon Moyes, who represents Family First in the NSW Legislative Council said, "Most of the people promoting same sex adoption speak about the right of gay and lesbian couples to have a child to satisfy their own instinct for parenting. The concern of Family First however is for the child to have the right role modelling and contributions that are given throughout a child's life by a mother and a father." Dr Moyes went on to say "Two men cannot give a child the benefits a mother is able to give nor are they able to provide the correct contribution to a child's gender development that a mother and father gives. No matter how he dresses and how competent in the kitchen he may be, a man can never be the same as the children's own mother. Dr Moyes concluded, "Children need both a mum and dad to help them develop their own sense of being like other families, and their own understanding of how marriages work. The child's whole of life welfare must come before the personal satisfaction of two adults." After a lengthy committee inquiry which recommended adoption be legal for gay couples, Linda Burney said the law would not be changed. In justifying her decision Burney said "The committee members could not reach a consensus in favour of a law change and the NSW Government is not satisfied there is broad enough community support to justify new state legislation at this stage."
Source: Compiled by APN from media reports
