аЯрЁБс>ўџ 8:ўџџџ7џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС!` №ПП bjbj\­\­ .,>Ч>ЧПџџџџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄЄЄИœœœœАИ“ ЖаааааЋBэ        $I hБЌ8 Є ЋЋ  8 ЄЄаалM О О О  šЄаЄа О   О О ЄЄО аФ €pПюЭэЦœ  О  c 0“ О ]Њ ]О ]ЄО T "; О S g Ÿ   8 8 Д    “     ИИИфœИИИœИИИЄЄЄЄЄЄџџџџ Good morning and thank you for this opportunity. Initially I had mixed feelings about doing this, which I will explain as I go along. But ultimately I’m glad to be here. My name is Eilis Hughes, and my partner Kristen and I will celebrate three years together next week. We’re now entering a new phase in our lives and our relationship where we hope and expect to become parents within the next year or so. That is one of my motivations for making a submission to this enquiry – I don’t want our baby to be born into an invisible family. As “out” as I may believe myself to be, the truth is we all have to make decisions every day about coming out in different circumstances. In the community the default assumption is heterosexual, and we are always having to making decisions about whether to correct that assumption and make ourselves more visible and expose ourselves to discrimination. There are two aspects to acceptance of homosexual relationships. One is by the community at large, or society. The other is government and its bureaucracies. If in Australia we believe in Human Rights and Equal Opportunity then the government should lead the way for society and demonstrate equal recognition for our relationships and our families. The federal government needs to lead by example if it really believes that we shouldn’t be discriminated against. Federal government and its systems and bureaucracies should demonstrate our equality explicitly, by including us within their definitions of couples and families on forms and in policies. And as our CEO at work said yesterday, “there’s no point having the best policies on paper if we don’t lead by example”. The best example of this happening in my life – and it’s not one lead by the federal government - is our employment contract at my workplace. It gives us an entitlement to “non-birth-parent leave” as opposed to “paternity leave”. There is no unnecessary gender-specific language like father, husband or wife in our contract. Of course, these entitlements are important and we’re grateful for them. But even more important is the tone or culture that they set for the workplace. It makes our family visible and equal. This meant that I knew – before I even sat at my desk on my first day – that it was OK to be open and proud about my family at work. I put Kristen’s photo on my desk, and my boss smiled and asked “Is that your family?” I didn’t have to make that coming out decision. I was also grateful for the people who came before me to negotiate that agreement. What happens when we have to negotiate individual agreements? Do we feel confident and safe to negotiate “non-birth-parent leave” and similar on our own? This should have been protected in Work Choices, rather than keeping the old-fashioned paternity leave. My workplace contrasts with Kristen’s workplace earlier this year. She worked for a very small family business where she was the only employee who wasn’t a member of the strongly Christian family. The many pictures of Jesus smiling down at her from the walls kept her silent about our family. She would never have asked for carers leave to look after me if I was sick. She had no idea how she would ever ask for non-birth-parent leave if and when the need should arise. And there was no way she was going to put a photo of me on her desk and tell them I was her family. Society needs leadership to change culture. Kristen has since left that job to start her own business via the NEIS scheme, which involves applying for Newstart from Centrelink. Factors affecting eligibility include whether she lives with someone of the opposite sex. My ability (or inability) to support Kristen financially is not recognized. Similarly, when I give birth to our child I will be seen as a single parent and will be eligible for single parent payment. This is the aspect of this enquiry about which I had mixed feelings. I was worried about drawing attention to the apparent advantage we can enjoy in these circumstances. I know that there are people who don’t want to lose these benefits, and there are cynics amongst us who think that this enquiry might end up with Centrelink recognizing our relationships to reduce the welfare payments they need to make, but that other areas of disadvantage won’t change as quickly. But let me tell you, those small Centrelink benefits are poor compensation for the disadvantages we face in taxation, medicare and other other areas you’re investigating in this enquiry. We’d rather have equality. A further point based on our experience, which applies mainly to Centrelink, but which could apply to other government agencies, is the lack of clear and consistent information. Regardless of what policies Centrelink does and doesn’t change as a result of this enquiry, at the very least they need to provide clear and consistent information about the rights of people in same-sex relationships to their staff and customers. They have glossy booklets for people in other circumstances – they need to add another to their repertoire. Every time we ring Centrelink we get a slightly different story and it really does seem to come down to the discretion of particular officers as to what we’re believed to be entitled to depending on whether the donor is on the birth certificate and so on. We exist, we have families, we are not going away – Centrelink needs to give their staff a break and let them serve us professionally and fairly the same way they try to with other customers. Put simply, I want the same rights and responsibilities as all of my straight friends - to form a family and support it and nurture it. I want Kristen to feel as secure in her parenting role as any other parent – without the uncertainty that comes with not being on the birth certificate, not being able to be on the same Medicare card, not being able to be seen as a family for tax purposes and so on. And I want our child to be born into a visible family – where there are categories for us on forms and our type of family is named in policies and the general community follows that example and accepts our family alongside everyone else’s and coming out becomes a moot point. And this needs to start with some leadership by our federal government which says it believes in human rights and equal opportunity. 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