ࡱ> 132` gbjbjss .g   @ B B B B B B $w h f f { @ @  QT@ 0 $ f f   dZdZ I wish to make a submission to the Inquiry into discrimination against same-sex couples regarding access to financial and work-related entitlements and benefits. I am particularly concerned about discrimination regarding superannuation and marriage. Superannuation: In 1996 I was made redundant from the Commonwealth public service after 17 years of service. Because I am in a same-sex relationship I was forced to make a decision about my superannuation that will have a negative impact on my financial situation in the long term. The Superannuation Act 1976 (Commonwealth) defines a ?spouse who survives a deceased person? as someone who had a ?marital relationship? with the person at the time of death and a ?marital relationship? as one where ?the person ordinarily lived with that other person as that other person's husband or wife on a permanent and bona fide domestic basis at that time.? Because this appears to exclude same-sex couples I had to cash out my superannuation and reinvest it so that my partner would not miss out on a pension benefit in the event that I died. I would have chosen to preserve my superannuation in the scheme if this had not been the case. Marriage: My partner and I have been together for 20 years. I find it of great concern that as a citizen who pays taxes and contributes to society in my way that I am denied the most basic right to marry. To deny me the right to marry simply because of the gender of my partner is fundamental discrimination. Marriage carries a range or opportunities and obligations, which have flow on effects to many parts of my life. For example, I may not be able make medical decisions for my partner in an emergency, and, as stated above, I may be financially disadvantaged as a result of being forced into a decision about my superannuation due to discrimination in the Act. Judith Peters # & = Y h r Xfg䩥h%h%h%OJQJ^JaJh%h%6OJQJ]^Jh%h%OJQJ\^Jh%h%6OJQJ^Jh%h%OJQJ^Jh%h%OJQJ]^J    " TVXfggd%g,1h. A!"#$% @@@ NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH DAD Default Paragraph FontRiR  Table Normal4 l4a (k(No List<B@< % Body Textdd[$\$g  "TVXfih0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0h0I0 "TVXfih0F@h0Fh0Fh0Fh0Fh0Fh0Fh0Fh0Fh0Fh0Fh0Fh0Fh0Fh0@ph00fgg g fiiTd<<<<%@g@UnknownGz Times New Roman5Symbol3& z Arial"1hrfrfM M !4dd2HX(?%2I wish to make a submission to the Inquiry into discrimination against same-sex couples regarding access to financial and work-related entitlements and benefitsSamantha EdmondsSamantha EdmondsOh+'0 <Xdx    I wish to make a submission to the Inquiry into discrimination against same-sex couples regarding access to financial and work-related entitlements and benefitsSamantha Edmonds Normal.dotSamantha Edmonds2Microsoft Office Word@F#@TT@TTMg access to financial and work-related entitlements and benefits Normal.dot1Microsoft Office WordM ke a submission to the Inquiry into discrimination against same-sex couples regarding access to financial and work-related entitlements and benefits Title  !"#%&'()*+.Root Entry F GTT0Data  1TableWordDocument.SummaryInformation(DocumentSummaryInformation8$CompObjq  FMicrosoft Office Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89qRoot Entry Fh6Data  1TableWordDocument. 5$4 elated entitlements and benefits Title 4 $,  Oh+'0T ht    I wish to make a submission to the Inquiry into discrimination against same-sex couples regardinSummaryInformation( 0DocumentSummaryInformation8CompObjq  FMicrosoft Office Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89q՜.+,D՜.+, hpx  ` d I wish to make a submission to the Inquiry into discrimination against same-sex couples regarding access to financial and work-r