Response to Government Cost Recovery Plan
February 2nd, 2012 | Posted by in Cost Recovery PlanThe Coalition of Celebrant Associations publishes its submission on the ‘Cost Recovery Plan” as a measure to “increase the professionalism of marriage celebrants”.
The “Professional” Fee is discriminatory and not in the public interest.
Making only civil and minority religious marriages bear the full impact of cost recovery of the Marriage Law and Celebrant Section (MLSC) will unfairly affect 60+% of the marrying public.
Commonwealth appointed marriage celebrants can be de-registered on the following grounds:
• failure to complete mandatory ongoing professional development
• non-compliance with specific wording of sections 45 and 46
• non-compliance with the Code of Practice, complaints and
• failure to pay an annual fee
Recognised religious and Registry Office marriage celebrants should have these measures equally applied to them.
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I dont see any equity within this proposed arrangement that each celebrant pay an annual fee. For those who have only a few weddings per year, say under 5, and those who spend a lot of time, energy and money on promoting their business, it is just another expense that is not justified.
Why are we going down this track? It seems eminently sensible that the cost should be transferred to a fee that is payable by the client getting married, as a ‘Marriage Fee’ such as is done in America.
If each couple were required to pay say $50 to the Attorney Generals to register their marriage, surely this would be a lot more successful and would be a user pays function. It is NOT the celebrants who are getting married, they are just ensuring that the legal requirements are carried out. It is NOT the celebrant who is the end user, it is the couple wishing to get married.
It seems ridiculous that this is even being considered.