Greens to take gay marriage to federal level — Listen to Interview >

TANYA NOLAN: The Greens say they've gained more momentum to pursue the issue of gay marriage at a federal level thanks to a decision passed in the New South Wales Parliament. The Parliament has passed laws that will allow for same-sex couples to adopt children.  But the Australian Christian Lobby says it's disappointed with the legislation and doesn't think gays should be able to adopt when there are so many eligible heterosexual couples who want to adopt too.

Timothy McDonald reports.

TIMOTHY MCDONALD: Gay rights activists say they're satisfied with the reforms even though they allow religious adoption agencies to sidestep discrimination provisions. But the Australian Christian Lobby fundamentally objects to the move and says the New South Wales Government isn't putting the interests of the child first.

Jim Wallace is the managing director.

JIM WALLACE: To argue that if we have this long line of prospective adoptive parents who are heterosexual and can provide that, that giving children to very demanding gay rights activists can for a moment be in the child's best interest. How could it possibly be when you have so many well screened prospective adoptive heterosexual couples? I mean it is a ridiculous argument.

TIMOTHY MCDONALD: Where is the evidence that by definition they are actually going to be worse parents?

JIM WALLACE: Well that is not the issue at all. You know the issue is here that…

TIMOTHY MCDONALD: But didn't you just say it was the issue?

JIM WALLACE: No, by nature it is a man and a woman who can give birth to a child. That is the natural family.

Now at a time when we are so concerned about the balances in nature with an issue like climate change for instance, so concerned about some very fine balances in nature, how can we trash this most fundamental of models in nature? This most fundamental of balances in nature that requires a mother and a father to have a child?

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