аЯрЁБс>ўџ 13ўџџџ2џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №ПbjbjЫsЫs 7"ЉЉџџџџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄЄЄєє     шgі< < < < < < < < цшшшшшш$]hХ* Єp< < pp ЄЄ< < !ВВВp"Є< Є< цВpцВВЄЄВ< 0 аVˆЗ Ц ’Вц70gВяЈяВяЄВ4< „Р ^В Lj < < <  Ј < < < gppppшшшфЬ DшшшЬ И$мџџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄџџџџ Dear Inquiry, I am a 43 year old male who migrated to Australia a few years ago with my same-sex partner (with whom I have been with for over 8 years now). Although I was allowed enter the country as a skilled migrant I was surprised and dismayed when I learned that Australia's definition of 'de facto' spouse applied exclusively to heterosexual relationships. Therefore, I was not allowed to include my partner on the same application to migrate. It was only after I had landed as a permanent resident myself that I could apply to sponsor my partner. This cost me about $3000 in additional legal and form filing fees. However, there was the emotional strain of having to have my partner come here speculatively as a tourist and then sponsor him onshore. Furthermore when we moved our possessions here I could only bring my own because he could not be included in my application. Over and above all this, the documentation requirements were onerous for sponsoring my partner as a so-called interdependent. I found it demeaning that I had to do this when we already had a Canadian marriage certificate and a Californian domestic partnership certificate establishing the authenticity of our relationship. This is a prime example of how federal law discriminates by only allowing the word 'de facto' to apply to heterosexual couples. Furthermore the use of 'interdependent' is a demeaning manner in which to acknowledge a same-sex couple that has been living together for a long time. It is a 'cop out'because the term itself only wishes to acknowledge some interdependency instead of acknowledging that it is a bone fide relationship. It is my hope that all federal and state legislation will be amended to remove the offensive and marginalising term 'interdependent' and allow all same-sex partners to be treated equally as heterosexual 'de facto' partners wherever these terms or their equivalent exist. Another incident of discrimination that occurred was with my first Australian employer who made several derogatory and inappropriate remarks about my being gay. These were extremely distressing to me as a new migrant who had just started working here. Although I had recourse through Victorian Equal Opportunity law, I would have felt much better if my newly adopted federal government also prohibited this horrible and harmful treatment. I believe it is essential that the federal government take leadership on matters of discrimination instead of being the laggard that it is. I say this because it is imperative that employers know that at NO level of government will discriminatory behaviour of any kind be tolerated. Finally, I am concerned that the scope of this inquiry is limited to "Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits". There is discrimination in terms of relationship recognition and adoption as well as pension, superannuation, and work-related matters. The negative emotional impact of all this marginalisation is too enormous to even express to you. I am now a citizen of Australia and so is my partner. We earnestly desire to form a family and to help a disadvantaged child by doing so. However, virtually all states prohibit same-sex couples from adopting AND the federal government has stated that it may prohibit overseas adoption by same-sex couples. If this remains the case, we may need to leave our new country permanently and return to Canada or California where same-sex couples may adopt. This would be a shame given all we have done to become Australians and all that we have to offer to this country. In conclusion, I believe that to achieve full legal equality all Federal legislation should have terms such as 'spouse', 'partner, 'dependent', 'family' and 'couple' redefined to include same-sex partners and, where relevant their children. I believe that Commonwealth legal recognition of same-sex relationships including families parented by same-sex partners would have a positive impact on my relationships, my family, productivity at work and financial security, among other areas of my life. Yours sincerely, James Magel ђюhр}hb"НCJOJQJ^JaJУ Ф w x М Н mn}~TUОПјљъыьэўџ   іііііііііііііііііііііііііііі 7$8$H$gdb"Н§ ііє 7$8$H$gdb"Н50P:pb"НАа/ Ар=!А"А# $ %ААаАа а†œ@@ёџ@ NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH DAђџЁD Default Paragraph FontRiѓџГR  Table Normalі4ж l4жaі (kєџС(No List"џџџџ џџ z™ џџ z™П 9УФwxМНmn}~T U О П ј љ ъыьэўџ   Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1 Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1 Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ћ1Р!ЌУФwxМНmn}~T U О П ј љ ъыьэўџ   ˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€˜0€€УФwxМНэўџ   h‹0h‹0h‹0h‹0h‹0h‹0h‹0h‹0h‹0h‹0ьŸZh‹0h‹0Р љ њ ыьh‹0€h‹0€h‹0€h‹0€h‹0pІ  џџ А‡…Єх Б‡… ёєВ‡…д?Г‡…\ЯяД‡…TьЕ‡…д5 Ж‡…дьЗ‡…ь И‡…Tэ77  е е M W W @@о о S a a 9*€urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags€State€9 *€urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags€place€B*€urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags€country-region€ %­    ую Ј В :хi]@ГCnр}=P„Ѕ­b"Нџ@€шqжP@џџUnknownџџџџџџџџџџџџG‡z €џTimes New Roman5€Symbol3& ‡z €џArial?5 ‡z €џCourier New"qˆ№аh­3Ї†­3Ї†˜x T˜x TБ№ ДД242ƒ№ШP)№џ?фџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџb"Н2џџўџр…ŸђљOhЋ‘+'Гй0d˜ЄАМШдш є  , 8DLT\ф Normal.dot4Microsoft Office Word@@Ў#№Ж Ц@Ў#№Ж Ц˜x ўџеЭеœ.“—+,љЎ0ј px„Œ”œЄ ЌДМФ Ь йфTЈ  Title ўџџџўџџџ !"#ўџџџ%&'()*+ўџџџ§џџџ.ўџџџўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot Entryџџџџџџџџ РFР ŠЗ Ц0€1TableџџџџџџџџяWordDocumentџџџџџџџџ7"SummaryInformation(џџџџDocumentSummaryInformation8џџџџџџџџџџџџ$CompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџqџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџўџ џџџџ РFMicrosoft Office Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.8є9ВqRoot Entryџџџџџџџџ РFРfЎХ Ц51TableџџџџџџџџяWordDocumentџџџџџџџџ7"SummaryInformation(џџџџ ўџџџўџџџ !"#ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ4§џџџўџџџўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџDocumentSummaryInformation8џџџџџџџџџџџџpCompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџqџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџўџ џџџџ РFMicrosoft Office Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.8є9ВqўџеЭеœ.“—+,љЎDеЭеœ.“—+,љЎ<ј px„Œ”œЄ ЌДМФ Ь йфTЈ  Title4 $€,А