Home > Beliefs Survey > QLD Election 2009
List of Candidates for Indooroopilly (QLD)
= previously sitting member
Ballot PositionCandidatePartyQ1Q2Q3Q4Q5Q6Q7Q8Q9Q10Total
1BURKETT, JohnDaylight Saving Party 111111111110
2LEE, RonanGreens 00000000000
3WARNER, SallyAustralian Labor Party 1032322232332
4EMERSON, ScottLiberal National Party 10727275510560

FamilyVoice survey scoring rewards openness and honesty. Failure to acknowledge the survey scores zero. A response to the survey is scored separately for each question: full agreement (Yes Definitely) scores 10, Probably = 7, Unsure = 5, Unlikely = 3, total opposition (Definitely Not) = 2, and No Comment = 1. The total score for all 10 questions thus ranges from 0 to 100.

Questionnaire

Candidates were asked to indicate how they would vote or did vote on these issues by answering the questions. If they are bound by party policy on a particular question, they were asked to provide an answer in accordance with that policy.

1. Prayers in Parliament
Christian prayers in parliament is part of our Australian heritage - reminding MPs, like all other people, that they are imperfect and need guidance. This tradition recognises the great majority of Queenslanders who identified themselves as adherents of Christianity in the 2006 Census. Opening parliamentary proceedings with prayer is a helpful reminder that members of parliament are accountable for their actions.
Would you support the continued opening of parliament with Christian prayers?

2. Abortion law
Abortion is a criminal offence in Queensland although a limited defence may be available for abortions performed for a serious threat to the mother?s physical or mental health. A bill to legalise abortion would remove any restraint on doctors and leave the unborn child without any legal protection.
Would you oppose any bill to legalise abortion?

3. Child pornography
Child pornography is generally illegal in Queensland. However, a defence for child pornography that has ?artistic merit? allows the production, publication and display of material that would otherwise be illegal. Children need protection from all child pornography.
Would you support the removal of the artistic merit defence for child pornography?

4. Same-sex relationship registers
Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT each have laws which allow same-sex relationships to be registered by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Registration treats a same-sex relationship as having equal status with marriage. Marriage provides public benefits by creating the best environment for raising children. Its unique status should be preserved.
Would you oppose any bill to allow the registration of same-sex relationships?

5. Legislative Council
The Commonwealth and every State parliament except Queensland has an upper house of review to check abuse of government power and to protect against corruption. The abolition of the Queensland Legislative Council in 1922, in spite of a referendum gaining 60% support for its retention, was itself an abuse of power.
Would you support legislation to restore the Legislative Council in the Queensland Parliament?

6. Vilification laws
Current vilification laws prohibit inciting ?severe ridicule? based on religion, sexuality or gender identity. These laws inappropriately restrain free speech when a diversity of views is legitimate. They also restrict freedom of religion by inhibiting preaching on other religions or on matters of sexuality or gender identity. A free society needs to accommodate robust debate on these matters.
Would you support a bill to remove vilification offences based on religion, sexuality and gender identity?

7. Adoption laws
Queensland law currently permits adoption only by married couples, other than in exceptional circumstances. Research evidence confirms that children flourish best when raised by a mother and a father who are married to each other. De facto relationships are significantly less stable than marriages. Before being entrusted with an adopted child, a man and woman should be prepared to make the public, lifelong commitment of marriage.
Would you oppose any change to adoption laws to allow de facto couples to adopt children?

8. Surrogacy
Surrogacy involves an agreement made before a pregnancy commences for the woman who will carry and give birth to the child to hand it over to another person or persons to be raised. Surrogacy, which treats the child as a commodity and the birth mother as a mere incubator, is currently illegal in Queensland.
Would you oppose any bill to legalise surrogacy?

9. Prostitution
The Prostitution Act 1999 (s64) does not allow local councils in towns of more than 25,000 population to refuse brothel applications. This denies residents of larger towns and cities the right to protect their social environment. The right of refusal should be extended to all local councils.
Would you support a bill to give all local councils in Queensland the right to veto legal brothels?

10. Human cloning
In October 2007 the Queensland parliament voted to lift the prohibition on human embryo cloning. However since then, scientists have developed new ethical patient-matched stem cells. They are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells, but do not require cloning or destroying human embryos. Cloning is now scientifically redundant.
Would you support a bill to prohibit human cloning?