Fiona O'Malley (Independent)

I apologise. I thought the Senator said that this will guarantee them rights in hearings on custody issues or other such issues. I misunderstood the Senator. I understood children had these rights. This is something which is long overdue.

I endorse something Senator Norris said. We need to be careful in regard to civil partnerships. Words and platitudes are all very well but unless they have real meaning, what good are they? While we all purport to give equal rights to children, Senator Norris pointed out where those rights will be strongly challenged in legislation. This is an opportunity for us to show that this is a modern society - I do not know whether it is appropriate to call it a pluralist one - that we have nothing to fear and that we will give all children and families, whatever that word means, equal status and equal rights in our Constitution. I propose to support whatever amendment Senator Norris plans to table to the civil partnership legislation.

We can no longer pretend all children are equal while some are more equal than others. Either they are all equal or they are not. This forthcoming legislation will give us the opportunity to show what we mean.

Senator Norris is an example of someone who has been the subject of prejudice. While I listened to him, I thought that it was a pity he was not a woman because women's rights in the Constitution would have changed much more quickly because he was able to stand up for the rights of the minority he happens to represent. We need to be cognisant of that. Senator Norris has highlighted an issue in regard to children and where they might be subject to prejudice and I would like to alert the Minister of State to that.