Press reports the incoming fee on Commonwealth Marriage
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Posted April 21st, 2014 |
As most Commonwealth Marriage Celebrants would know, the Coalition of Celebrant Associations (CoCA) Inc opposed the introduction of an annual fee on only Commonwealth registered marriage celebrants.
Basically CoCA examined the proposed services and the evidence for their introduction, and found no evidence to support the need for singling out one group of marriage celebrants to receive staff-intensive regulatory services. Only two invalid marriages in 15 years where celebrant error was sited as a possible cause – is a stunningly low statistic – and interesting as one celebrant was a religious one who would not be covered by these measures anyway.
As most Commonwealth Marriage Celebrants would know, the Coalition of Celebrant Associations (CoCA) Inc opposed the introduction of an annual fee on only Commonwealth registered marriage celebrants.
Basically CoCA examined the proposed services and the evidence for their introduction, and found no evidence to support the need for singling out one group of marriage celebrants to receive staff-intensive regulatory services. Only two invalid marriages in 15 years where celebrant error was sited as a possible cause – is a stunningly low statistic – and interesting as one celebrant was a religious one who would not be covered by these measures anyway.
Like all marriage celebrants, Commonwealth authorised marriage celebrants provide the civil legal component of the marriage (its witnessing and registration) regardless of what type of ceremony is provided – religious, registry (BDM regulated celebrants) or personalised (AGD regulated celebrants). Therefore all celebrants and all couples should be treated alike under the one Marriage Act for all Australians.
Press reports such as this one on news.com.au make some of these points and that these fees will impact on the marrying public. CoCA is concerned that these fees charged by the public service do no spiral out of control as at $240 pa these fess already represent 3 times the annual fees charged by other professionals such as teachers who can work full-time.
There are other changes that could adversely affect couples, and as such all couples are encouraged to engage a celebrant who is a member of a CoCA professional association.
Members of professional celebrant association. are likely to be up-to-date with the latest legal requirements and more concerned to ensure that you receive celebancy services of the highest quality.
The Coalition of Celebrant Associations (CoCA) Inc acknowledges that the current government had little room to move with budget pressures.
However CoCA, as the peak body for Commonwealth celebrants recognised by the Attorney-General, plans to work closely with the Attorney-General’s Department to ensure that the services provided to Commonwealth marriage celebrants are necessary and cost-efficient and effective to ensure the continued development of civil celebrancy as a profession as envisaged by the National Liberal-Country Party Government that initiated the setting up of the national Marriage Law and Celebrant section in the Attorney-General’s Department.
CoCA Secretary
