The Queensland government will move to restore legal recognition for same-sex relationships through civil unions that can be sealed in official ceremonies.
Attorney general Yvette D’Ath is due to table a bill in the state parliament on Thursday afternoon that would allow couples of any gender or sexual orientation to have their partnerships registered with the births, deaths and marriages registry.
That right, first introduced by the former Bligh Labor government, was then stripped away by the Newman Liberal National party government, which relegated civil partnerships of both heterosexual and same-sex couples to the status of “registered relationships”.
Its passage in Queensland’s finely balanced legislature will depend on crossbench support from either Labor-turned-independent MP Billy Gordon or the two Katter’s Australian party MPs.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told parliament on Thursday it was a right “every Queensland couple should have”.
“It’s time to again allow heterosexual couples who might want to affirm their relationship but not take the step of actually getting married the right to do so,” she said.
“It’s also time – once again – to allow same-sex couples that same right.”
Palaszczuk said civil ceremonies allowed “couples of any gender [to] declare their dedication to each other”.
“These ceremonies and the symbolism they represent are important, particularly to people in same-sex relationships.”
A spokeswoman for Katter’s Australian party was unable to immediately advise Guardian Australia of the party’s position on civil unions.
