аЯрЁБс>ўџ 13ўџџџ2џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №П@bjbjЫsЫs 4 ЉЉ@ џџџџџџЄšššššššъTŽŽŽŽЊ>m,ЪЪЪЪЪЪЪЪьюююююю$™h*šЪЪЪЪЪššЪЪ'(((Ъ šЪšЪь(Ъь((šš(ЪО №K•˜|КЦŽд (ь=0m(+о@+(+š(ФЪЪ(ЪЪЪЪЪ ЪЪЪmЪЪЪЪ>dЂdЄЊ ф>ЂЊ Ў$вџџџџššššššџџџџ  [Details removed] Same-Sex Inquiry Human Rights Unit Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Dear Commissioner We wish to make a very brief submission to your Inquiry because, although we do not have anything particularly new or startling to say, we consider it important to support the Inquiry’s work. We are a lesbian couple in our mid to late fifties who have lived together since 1985. We merged our incomes after about a year and have maintained joint finances ever since. We own our house as joint tenants and have acquired all other assets (car, shares, furniture, cat, etc) jointly. For much of the 20 odd years of our partnership, we both worked as public servants paying PAYE taxes and contributing to State and federal government superannuation funds. We have fully supported each other on the occasions when one of us has not been in the workforce. In recent years, we have each commuted our Commonwealth PSS superannuation to a pension. We are thus directly affected by the Commonwealth’s failure to extend the 2004 amendment broadening the definition of ‘dependant’ to its own superannuants in same-sex relationships. We understand that this means that when one of us dies, the other will not be entitled to receive a reversionary pension. In addition, we understand that there is a concern within the gay community that, even where the 2004 amendment is applicable, same-sex couples have to prove that they are in an “interdependent relationship” whereas heterosexual de factos and married couples are presumed to be dependants. We were recently advised by a financial adviser that, if one or both of us wished to purchase an allocated pension, we should choose a fund with binding death nominations to ensure that our intention to make each other beneficiaries is achieved. In his view, we were more vulnerable as a same sex couple to having our wishes over-ridden by the trustee than a heterosexual couple in the same circumstances. We are unclear whether his view was based on discriminatory legislation or his experience of what can happen in practice. We have read a letter from Senator Nick Minchin (dated November 2005) in response to a representation made on behalf of some friends of ours concerning a same-sex partner’s eligibility for death benefits. He indicated that “because of the design of these schemes [CSS and PSS] a number of technical matters and also Budgetary considerations need to be fully examined before any decision could be made.” They sound like “weasel words” but we hope we’re wrong. We urge you to recommend to the Commonwealth in the strongest terms to end discrimination against same-sex couples in its own superannuation schemes, as well as other areas in which homosexuals suffer discrimination on the basis of sexuality. 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