аЯрЁБс>ўџ FHўџџџGџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №П;)bjbjЫsЫs .:ЉЉ;!џџџџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄЄЄBФЮЮЮЮъ$ љ Жx z z z z z z $Џ!h$*ž ЄПППž ЄЄГ )))П ЄЄx )Пx ))ЄЄЄ№ р” ԘЦЮЩ Мx Щ 0љ Ф,A$гLA$№A$Є№ˆЎШ|)DdЈž ž  љ ПППП   „ ŠD   ŠИT 6џџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄџџџџ Dear HREOC, I have been an advocate and campaigner for sexuality law reform and same-sex partnership recognition for many years, but I don’t propose to try and cover all of the Commonwealth discrimination issues in this submission. I expect there will be many comprehensive submissions that will do that admirably. HREOC may also find it useful to study my work in this area from my senate term (1999-2005), particularly with regard to the ‘Sexuality and Gender Identity Discrimination Bill”, which built upon the original ‘Spindler Bill’ from 1995. What I want to do, is draw your attention to some personal discrimination I faced as a Senator and also to indicate ongoing discrimination in our Federal Parliament, with regard to MHR’s and Senators in same–sex relationships. The difficulty I encountered was with travel rights for my partner of 20 years. Under parliamentary rules, the partners of MP’s and senators must be registered for the purposes of travel and some other entitlements. Generally, this means partners can access nine return trips to Canberra annually and three return trips to any other capital. These are business class flights. Partners are categorised into three groups: Married. De facto spouse (opposite-sex partners only) Nominated partner (can be either sex or also a non-conjugal relationship). This latter grouping is the only one to which same-sex couples can subscribe. My difficulties began when my partner started some part-time work in my Perth electorate office. When this occurred, I was advised by the Department of Ministerial and Parliamentary Services that my partner was no longer entitled to his existing travel entitlements. This meant his travel was capped to a staffing budget, he could travel only to Canberra and only in economy seating. The reason offered, was that under the rules staff could not also be nominated partners. However, this discrimination did not exist between staff who were also de facto or married partners – and there are many. In other words, heterosexual staff partners (whether married or not), were entitled to full travel rights while gay partners were not. The Department wouldn’t budge on this and I was advised to take my case to the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal. I did this, but was astonished to find that the Tribunal took just over a year to resolve the matter. I found that totally unacceptable, believing that if some other form of partner discrimination had been presented to the CRT (based perhaps on race or religion), it would have been dealt with in a matter of days. Ultimately, the CRT found in my favour, ruling that nominated partners could also be staff. Travel rights were returned. The two points I would like to make here are these: Firstly, the three categories of partner registration in our Federal parliament seem unnecessary. They appear more as a moral hierarchy rather than for administrative purposes. It should be enough merely for MHR’s and Senators to register a partner and be done with it. I understand several countries already do this. Secondly, the lack of comprehensive, effective and accessible national anti-discrimination laws make it hard for claims of discrimination to be investigated and remedied. Notwithstanding the fact that the CRT found in my favour, the privilege I enjoyed as a senator and the national media interest in my case perhaps gave me influence with the CRT in a way that many other people would not have been able to utilize. This exercise brought home to me to necessity for national laws to address and remedy sexuality discrimination, in much the same way as we deal with sex, race, age, religion and disability. Australia remains one of the few Western nations with no national laws to address discrimination on the grounds of sexual preference / sexual orientation / sexuality. This is not acceptable. While the CRT has resolved the matter of domestic ‘spousal’ travel for same-sex couples, oversea travel continues to discriminate against parliamentarians in same-sex relationships. Federal parliamentarians, after three years in office, are entitled to an annual business class round-the-world air ticket. These are attributed as Study Tours. Many MP’s convert this entitlement to an economy airfare to allow their spouse or de facto partner to join them in the travels. However, same-sex partners are prohibited from doing this. This procedure is woefully out of date, particularly at a time when the Commonwealth allows same-sex partners travel entitlements for the purposes of relocation in the public service or overseas diplomatic postings. The final comments I would like to make relate to themes. During my six years as a senator I received many letters, phone calls and emails concerning discrimination against lesbian and gay people. While the areas of discrimination were broad, I noted a few themes. These were: Superannuation, the Australian Defence Forces, Immigration and Veterans Affairs - in that order. In other words, from my experience the most acute federal discrimination was in those areas and drew the most anger, frustration and disappointment from gay and lesbian citizens. Superannuation has been partly resolved, but the Commonwealth has yet to make good on its promise to ensure equality within the Commonwealth superannuation scheme. As it stands, 250,000 Australians do not yet have access to the necessary equality provisions. This means that all Commonwealth Public Servants, members of the ADF, Federal MP’s and Senators and members of the Federal judiciary in same-sex relationships, do not have equal rights in superannuation death benefits or to reversionary pensions. In the ADF, I note that internal guidelines recently changed to the benefit of same-sex couples, however this is not complete. While travel entitlements and Defense Force home loan grants (I think), now apply to same-sex couples, the lack of partnership recognition still means that death benefits payments, ‘widows pensions’ and next of kin nominations are either non existent or problematic for serving personnel or their same-sex partners. The ‘interdependency’ provisions within Immigration law also continue to make life difficult for many same-sex partners. The requirement that same-sex partners establish and prove co-habitation for at least a year in order for a foreign partner to be considered for residency can be impossible for some people. They can be thwarted by distance, finances, job commitments or cultural taboos, for example. Residency can be much more easily facilitated with marriage, but of course this option is not available to same-sex partners. At the very least, the Federal Government should consider accepting as valid same-sex partners who have lawfully married, undertaken a civil union or registered their relationship with appropriate authorities overseas. Safeguards and qualifications (as with heterosexual marriage), can be built into such a policy to ensure it is not abused. It has also been the case that foreign same-sex partners have been stymied in their attempts to relocate to Australia where one partner has been offered work, on the basis that the other partner is not recognised as ‘family’ and cannot hold the same visa and access rights as their working partner. I understand that Minister Vanstone recently relaxed the rules for same-sex partners coming to Australia for work or business related purposes to remedy this ridiculous situation, but I am unsure without having seen the details, if this change to guidelines and regulations resolves that particular element of discrimination fully. HREOC may wish to pursue this. Finally, Veterans Affairs. I know HREOC would be well familiar with the indomitable Mr Edward Young and his campaign for justice which saw him win the backing of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. However, the Commonwealth still refuses to extend to him and others like him, the ‘widows’ pension despite 38 years of living with his male partner whilst that partner was in the ADF and served in combat. I trust that this contribution is in some small way helpful to your deliberations. I would be happy to assist in any other way if HREOC sought further input. Thank you for the initiative of the inquiry and for the opportunity to contribute. I look forward to your resulting paper and recommendations. Yours sincerely, Brian Greig PERTH (Senator for Western Australia 1999-2005). 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