Coalition of Celebrant Associations

Australia’s Peak Celebrant Body

Submissions: Exposure Draft of the Marriage Amendment (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill

Dear Sir/Madam
 
Exposure Draft of the Marriage Amendment (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill
 
On 30 November 2016, the Senate resolved to establish the Select Committee on the Exposure Draft of the Marriage Amendment (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill to inquire into the Commonwealth Government’s exposure draft of the Marriage Amendment (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill.
 
I am writing to invite you to make a submission to this inquiry.  The Committee would like to receive submissions by Friday, 13 January 2017.  The committee may be able to facilitate a short extension to this deadline if you are unable to meet it, however it would appreciate that you provide an early indication of this.  If you do request an extension, please bear in mind that the committee will be reporting on 13 February 2017, and will require sufficient time to hold public hearings and draft its report.
 

The committee is keen to only receive submissions that address its terms of reference, particularly on the following areas:
  •  the proposed exemptions in the Exposure Draft for ministers of religion, marriage celebrants and religious bodies and organisations to refuse to conduct or solemnise marriages, and the extent to which those exemptions prevent encroachment upon religious freedoms;
  • the nature and effect of the proposed amendment to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984;
  • whether there should be any consequential amendments to this bill, or any other Act, and, if so, the nature and effect of those consequential amendments.

The committee is seeking written submissions preferably in electronic form submitted online or sent by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as an attached Adobe PDF or MS Word format document. The email must include full postal address and contact details.
 
Alternatively, written submissions may be sent to:
 
Select Committee on Same-sex Marriage
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra   ACT   2600
 
Submissions are confidential until the Committee releases them. You must not release your submission until the Committee advises that it has accepted and released it. Submissions are protected by parliamentary privilege but the unauthorised release of them is not.
 
The Committee will normally make submissions public unless there is a request for confidentiali

If you would like a submission or part of it to be kept confidential please say so clearly in the submission.
The Committee will consider requests for confidentiality, but cannot make promises in advance.

If you have concerns about confidentiality I encourage you to call me to discuss this before lodging the submission.
Notes on making submissions are available from the website. The committee secretariat can also help: phone (02) 6277 3228 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

More information about this Committee is available at: www.aph.gov.au/select_ssm
 
We look forward to receiving your views on this issue.
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Mr Gerry McInally
Committee Secretary

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