ࡱ> 574` bjbjss .  2$h*55J .  rT @as?`0M $ 55 $ HREOC Same Sex Entitlements Inquiry Lynne Martin Notes for verbal submission, Sydney, 26 July 2006 Name, occupation (Health Promotion Officer), with partner (Teacher) for over 12 years, 8 week old son Written submission details areas of discrimination based on our same sex status i.e. Social security not recognised & not eligible for benefits given to heterosexual couples Tax concessions not recognised & tax benefits not available; only benefit may be that partner can claim single parent benefit if needed, but gained by deception & goes against our values as we are not single Medicare safety net classed as individual not couple/family therefore threshold higher for us; results in my family & son being penalised due to our family make up Superannuation classed as interdependent rather than living in genuine domestic basis; cannot maximise by splitting contributions if we drop income; encouraged to save super for retirement but no point as no guarantee my family will benefit from my super Now from the heart: Australian citizen since 1992 Certificate of Citizenship doesnt say second class but thats how my family & I are made to feel with current legislation Proud to be Australian, love it here, my home, will be buried here Bitter disappointment that Commonwealth laws say I am not worthy enough a human being or Australian to be treated equally & fairly Provide for my family & work hard, pay same taxes, subject to same laws, give to my community & charity, believe in social justice, both of work in public sector organisations providing health care & education for fellow Australians My role as a mother is to raise a decent, good, giving Australian man These things hard to do when my government tells us that we are second class citizens, not exempt from discrimination, & just dont count Law cant tell me these things because of my gender Law cant tell me these things because I am a migrant But it can, at present, tell me these things based on who I love The govt & laws offer no equality, no fairness and no consideration for the welfare of my son and other children in same sex families Govt legislates inequalities upon its citizens We are punished in law for being different when every Australian is different Difference should be accepted not just tolerated I should be accepted in Australian law & given full & equal rights under those laws I am not a second class citizen & resent my family & I being treated as such All I ask is to be treated equally, no more & no less than any other Australian. Just equal $e ho5\ho$1ef! | N  , o X(\Y_ & F & F & F & F,1h. A!"#$% @@@ NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH :@: Heading 1$@&5\DAD Default Paragraph FontViV  Table Normal :V 44 la (k@(No List  $1ef!|N,oX(\Y_ 0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 h04   8@0(  B S  ?   5-X6AXRYzeO