Walk the rights track
THE conclusion of 2017 has certainly been emotional and exciting.
The second last week of Parliament was cancelled by the Prime Minister as marriage equality was debated in the Senate. While I did not support cancelling a week of Parliament, because I believe that we can walk and chew gum at the same time and we had other business to address, I did support finalising marriage equality before the Parliament rose for the summer break.
There were many heartfelt speeches delivered in the House in the final week and a number of very unsatisfactory amendments were voted down and finally the Bill was put and the vote won by a huge majority.
The atmosphere in the chamber was electric, the gallery singing We are One, We are Australian and I can honestly say it was a moment in my life that I will never forget.
We as a nation said we respect and value LGBTIQ relationships, we value human rights and equality.
I am also very aware that there are people in our community who voted no and I respect their decision and right to do so, but now it is time for us all to come together to heal any hurts and celebrate the fact that we are a city that values equality, inclusion and human rights.
However, while we celebrate the marriage equality victory our fight for equality and human rights is far from over. We have a long way to go in relation to our first nation’s people, veterans, ex- service personnel and their families, older persons, people with a disability and refugees.
Being a compassionate and inclusive city is not a weakness, it is a strength, because our strength comes from our diversity. We have proved to ourselves and the country that we can mobilise and fight strong campaigns so let’s turn our attention to the people that I have mentioned above, let us be a city that stands up for the rights of the marginalised.
As Christmas approaches let us all take the time to be grateful for what we have, let us think about those who will be lonely or homeless and the Defence men and women who are deployed overseas and their families.
If you are travelling stay safe and enjoy your break.
I thank every citizen in the electorate of Herbert for your support over the past year and I wish each of you a peaceful, safe and joyous Christmas season and all the very best for 2018. CATHY O’TOOLE, Member for Herbert.