ࡱ> =?>` bjbjss 70000D 7/,\\\\\\\\.......$c0h2.\\\\\.\\.\\\.\.\P i0r./07/O3O3O3T%\\\.. \\\7/\\\\ Same-Sex Inquiry Human Rights Unit Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001. Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission. My long-term same-sex partner and I are 58 and 60 years of age. We are both members of the Australian Public Service; I have been a member for thirty years. On joining the APS, we were each required to become members of the Public Sector Superannuation Scheme (the PSS). Of itself, that is no bad thing. My salary is double that of my partner and I want to provide security for him should Idie before he does. However, unlike other couples, we are unable to provide security to each other through superannuation death benefits, as the legislated definition of eligible spouse for the PSS excludes a person of the same sex even though opposite-sex de facto partners are eligible. My partner and I hold all our debts and assets in common house, mortgage, car, bank accounts, furniture, insurance, etc. Superannuation is the only asset of importance that we cannot share. Changes to Commonwealth legislation have allowed members of some same sex couples to nominate their partners to receive superannuation death benefits, and have extended tax free status for superannuation benefits to same sex couples. However, the changes excluded Australian Government employees. This is an extraordinary and hurtful discrimination by the Australian Government against its own employees. Am I any less committed to my partner than a member of a de facto opposite sex couple or a person employed in the private sector? Future changes to superannuation law may make it possible for Australian Government employees to move to other schemes that permit payment of benefits to same-sex couples. But the financial cost of this to mature age couples could well be considerable. On retirement, we could take our PSS benefits as lump sums and invest them in other ways but, again, the whole-of-life financial loss would be considerable. The Government has long promised to address this anomaly but has failed to do so. Yet it now claims to have removed discrimination against gay and lesbian people! Icannot tell whether its motives are financial, political, or both or whether it simply doesnt care. Brian McKinlay ouv @ B T U   , - A  2 : R c e n r |      ÿûûDZѧûãÿãßÑÿÿûûhTh-'h-'6]h-'h5ShTOJQJ^JhTOJQJ^JhCbhThwZWh9gOJQJ^JhwZWOJQJ^JhCbOJQJ^Jh-'OJQJ^Jh5SOJQJ^J h5Sh5S6#Q^op S T    ./ [$\$gdwZW 7$8$H$gdwZW$a$gd5S : G M N R W f g h j     @ F G Y e -/6+,>DMQʼبh5SOJQJ^JhCbOJQJ^JhTh-'h-'6]h-'h-'OJQJ^JhTOJQJ^JhTOJQJ^JhwZWOJQJ^JhOJQJ^J850P:p5S/ =!"#$% @@@ NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH DA@D Default Paragraph FontRiR  Table Normal4 l4a (k(No List B^@B  Normal (Web)dd[$\$0a@0  HTML Cite6].X@. 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