SSM: John Howard denies ‘muddying the waters’, by Primrose Riordan.

Former prime minister John Howard has fired back after his former adviser and business leader Geoff Cousins accused ‘No’ advocates of adopting a “dishonest strategy”. …

“The fact that people are complaining that it’s an attempt to muddy the waters indicates to me that they know damn well that they are legitimate questions,” Mr Howard told the Nine Network.

“I think that if we remove the special status of marriage as we have understood it that would over time weaken the institution.” …

Mr Howard said there was “conflicting rights” between the rights of children and those of same-sex couples in the debate.

“I do think the rights of children are fundamental to this debate, not just the rights of same-sex couples,” he said.

“It is one of those areas where you have conflicting rights and you have to bear that in mind when you are making judgments.”

Same-sex couples can already raise children in Australia.

hat-tip Stephen Neil