http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/ian-hunter/ Ian Hunter is a Labor member of South Australia’s Legislative Council, first elected in 2006. His former occupations include State Secretary of the ALP (SA Branch), adviser to federal ministers, research assistant in Dept Clinical Immunology, Flinders Medical Centre. Parliamentary Committees: Currently Chair of the Social Development Committee, member of Statutory Authorities Review Committee. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/labor-pollie-tells-labor-is-bigoted/ In the wake of New York’s historic decision to legalise same sex marriages, I find myself increasingly frustrated by the Australian Government’s refusal to provide Certificates of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI) to same sex couples who wish to wed overseas in countries that recognise marriage equality. As someone who is considering marrying their partner overseas, I am personally affected and outraged by this bureaucratic bigotry. Certificates of No Impediment to Marriage are designed to assure foreign governments that the applicants can legally be married overseas; they confirm that applicants are of marriageable age, aren’t closely related to each other and aren’t currently married in Australia. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ian Hunter) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/labor-pollie-tells-labor-is-bigoted/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/labor-pollie-tells-labor-is-bigoted/#item6253 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 19:50:37 +0000 Ian Hunter | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Kids-with-two-mums-are-Weet-Bix-kids-too/ Same-sex parents are no different than other parents in wanting the very best for their children. We know that removing legislative inequality is a very significant step in lessening the discrimination and social exclusion experienced by these parents and their children. All children, irrespective of the family units into which they are born or live, deserve the full protection of the law. That’s why I’m proud to have chaired a year-long Social Development Committee Inquiry into same sex parenting for the South Australian Parliament, and why I’m prouder still of the wide-ranging reforms aimed at providing greater legal protection for children of same-sex parents recommended to Parliament yesterday. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ian Hunter) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Kids-with-two-mums-are-Weet-Bix-kids-too/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Kids-with-two-mums-are-Weet-Bix-kids-too/#item5865 Tue, 17 May 2011 19:35:13 +0000 Ian Hunter | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-julia-civil-unions-are-no-substitute-for-real-marriage/ If gay marriage is too controversial for some federal politicians to handle – with entrenched positions on both sides – why don’t we do what political pragmatists are taught to do, and compromise? Say, with civil unions? After all – they have civil unions in the UK and NZ and many other countries. To conservatives you can argue that this gives the gays their relationship recognition but still keeps marriage exclusive to the heterosexual club.  And to the gays you can argue that it’s a huge step forward – they get their ‘weddings’ now and all the state recognition that goes with them … and that eventually society may feel relaxed enough to move to marriage … one day … down the track.  Seems like the perfect solution for any politician who just wants this debate to go away.  Like Prime Minister Gillard for example. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Ian Hunter) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-julia-civil-unions-are-no-substitute-for-real-marriage/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hey-julia-civil-unions-are-no-substitute-for-real-marriage/#item5165 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:30:26 +0000 Ian Hunter | Author bios | The Punch