MP Penny Wong has baby with her gay partner. Acceptable?

[Ash007]

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/mixed-views-on-wongs-baby-news/2253590.aspx?storypage=0

Mixed views on Wong's baby news
BY PETER JEAN
10 Aug, 2011 04:00 AM
Penny Wong and Sophie Allouaches baby isn't due to be born until December, but is already the subject of political debates about same-sex marriage and assisted fertility treatment for lesbians.
The Finance Minister yesterday announced her partner Ms Allouache had fallen pregnant with the help of in-vitro fertilisation and a sperm donor whose name would not be publicly released.

Adelaide-based Senator Wong described the pregnancy as a private matter. But NSW upper house Christian Democrat MP Fred Nile criticised the couple for choosing to have a baby.

The child is due to be born in the same month Labor's national conference will debate same-sex marriage.

Senator Wong said she and her long-term partner were delighted to be expecting a child.

"Like any expecting parents, the prospect of welcoming this child into our lives fills us both with joy," she said.

"We are extremely grateful to our IVF service and staff, and to our donor, for giving us the opportunity to raise a child together.

"The biological father of the child is known to us, and will be known to the child."

Senator Wong said she and Ms Allouache had chosen to make the the statement because they understood there may be public interest due to her cabinet position.

"This is, however, a very private matter and we ask for our privacy to be respected during this time," she said.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she was very pleased for Senator Wong, whom she described as a long-term friend as well as a colleague.

"I'm very pleased for Penny and her partner Sophie as they look forward to a new baby and the next phase of their lives, which will be as parents raising a new child," Ms Gillard said.

Asked about whether it was fair that the child's parents could not legally marry, the Prime Minister said she had made her personal opposition to same-sex marriage clear, but the matter would be debated at Labor's national conference in December.

"Clearly there are strong views about same-sex marriage in the community. There are strong views in the political party I lead and well have a debate at national conference about those strongly held views," Ms Gillard said.

The Reverend Nile yesterday criticised Senator Wong for making a public statement about her partner's pregnancy.

"I'm totally against a baby being brought up by two mothers - the baby has human rights," Mr Nile said.

"It's a very poor example for the rest of the Australian population.

"She needn't have made it public - it just promotes their lesbian lifestyle and trying to make it natural where it's unnatural."

Australian Christian Lobby chief Jim Wallace said children generally did best if they were raised by a mother and a father.

"It's well proven by enough social research to sink a ship that a child does best with a mother and father, and usually a natural mother and father," Mr Wallace said.

Australian Marriage Equality national secretary Peter Furness congratulated Senator Wong and Ms Allouache on the upcoming birth of the child.

But Mr Furness said it was unfortunate that the couple did not have the option of marrying in Australia.

"That child will be denied the same privileges and benefits and the status the comes from having married parents that other Australian children receive," Mr Furness said.

Deputy Liberal Leader Julie Bishop congratulated Senator Wong and Ms Allouache on the pregnancy.

"The birth of a child is a cause for great happiness for Penny Wong and her partner. I wish them all the very best in the coming months," Ms Bishop said.

The Howard government unsuccessfully attempted to ban IVF treatments for lesbian couples and single women.

with AAP

 

[Equalisation]

Wah like that ..... baby got 4 nipples to suckle from binya .....

 

[Ash007]

Penny Wong 1 quite small. Plus, don't think she would be lactating at all.

Wah like that ..... baby got 4 nipples to suckle from binya .....

 

[Equalisation]

Penny Wong 1 quite small. Plus, don't think she would be lactating at all.

Hard to say binya .... I ever come across some women who were never pregnant ... pun boleh lactate binya ....

 

[Ash007]

That 1 psychological. Penny wong looks like the "guy" in the relationship.

Hard to say binya .... I ever come across some women who were never pregnant ... pun boleh lactate binya ....

 

[Rogue Trader]

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she was very pleased for Senator Wong, whom she described as a long-term friend as well as a colleague.

of course julia happy for her... Both are from the SA gang..

 

[drifter]

selfish woman as usual ....what happen when their kid grow up and being bully in school for having a lesbain parents ..

 

[neddy]

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/new...s-on-wongs-baby-news/2253590.aspx?storypage=0

I heard that Penny Wong will be the "father".

Julia Gillard has a live-in boyfriend. The next PM-in-waiting, Bill Shorten divorce his wife after extraaffairs with the Her Majesty's Aussie Governor's daughter.

It runs in ALP.

Matrilineal commune has been a long tradition in China Sichuan's Musuo tribes. So, let it be.

 

[Ash007]

Bill Shorten, you serious?

I heard that Penny Wong will be the "father".

Julia Gillard has a live-in boyfriend. The next PM-in-waiting, Bill Shorten divorce his wife after extraaffairs with the Her Majesty's Aussie Governor's daughter.

It runs in ALP.

Matrilineal commune has been a long tradition in China Sichuan's Musuo tribes. So, let it be.

 

[neddy]

Bill Shorten, you serious?

Bill is highly ambitous. If you have watched his rise. He is smart and will give people like me a 8% payrise this year for the next 3 years.
But politics at the workplace has gone bad for management after ALP return power to the unions.

Don't expect Australia to progress much under ALP/Greens. Our productivity is so low now that it is shocking that the economy is still churning along. But that is Australia. Not sure why we are lucky so far.

Of course, after bad-policy-showoff Kevin Rudd and £10-Wales-trash Julia Gillard, the ALP is left with not many choices. My MP, Stephen Smith, is a steadyhand, but 2nd choice, after he gave up foreign affairs portfolio to that populist rat, KRudd.

At the moment, a lot of people are predicting that Gillard will go be the end of the year.

 

[singveld]

penny who? how does it concern us in singapore?

 

[Liquigas]

Like the new PM of Thailand, Ms Penny Wong is Hakka.

So is the DPP candidate for next year presidential election in Taiwan, Tsai Ing Wen.

Why are Hakka women so interested in politics?

 

[xenomorph]

same reason as the Hakka leaders in singapore, malaysia and hongkong.

 

[Ash007]

But the Hakka mois I had very hiong in bed 1 leh?