Let's start today on a positive note, shall we?

South Australia's government introduced legislation extending certain marriage rights to same-sex couples and - in fact - any couples living together, romantic or otherwise. If passed, the Domestic Partners Bill will allow registered couples the same financial and legal rights as married couples.

While analogous to marriage, the Bill's not equal to the coveted institution. The Australian Capital Territory passed a marriage-oriented bill earlier this year, but it got squashed by the federal government.

By not means guaranteeing completely equal rights, the introduction of the Domestic Partners Bill represents a rising tide of support for - at the very least - civil unions. While Prime Minister John Howard's made it clear he has no intention of lifting the ban on gay marriage, he has been looking into expanding the rights of same-sex couples. Given Howard's recent comments equating the fight for gay marriage as "minority fundamentalism", however, we're not sure if we trust him.