аЯрЁБс>ўџ ?Aўџџџ@џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №ПC"bjbjЫsЫs 40ЉЉ1џџџџџџЄbbbbbbbЬ„иии8$PРьLLLLL'''?AAAAAA$Ќh!*ebБ''ББebbLLлzЇЇЇБ”bLbL?ЇБ?ЇЇbbЇL@ рТq>З ЦиE(Ї$0РЇ>!m*>!Ї>!bЇt'vTЇёD5|'''ee—'''РББББPPPdД$PPPДv4Њ"џџџџbbbbbbџџџџ [Names withheld] [Details removed] Attention: Same Sex Inquiry The Commissioner Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001 Dear Commissioner, SAME SEX INQUIRY SUBMISSION – SAME SEX COUPLE FACING DISCRIMINATORY LEGISLATION We write to you with reference to your current inquiry into legislation which discriminates against same sex couples, and wish to you tell our story. My partner and I married in Canada under Canadian law in August 2004, right about the same time as the Federal Government swiftly changed the Marriage Act (C’wealth) to specifically discriminate against us as a foreign married same sex couple. We had been in a long distance relationship for several years before that and once we returned to Australia, I sponsored my partner for permanent residence, which happily he was granted. The process of applying for interdependent partner migration is a lengthy one and is extremely daunting. I am happy to say that apart from one particular phone call to the Department of Immigration, all of our dealings with them were extremely professional and I must say very helpful. [Details removed] While I cannot fault the people I dealt with at Immigration, their legislation is cumbersome and openly discriminatory to same sex couples. The fact that we are required to live 12 months together (that’s 365 days, not a day less) prior to even applying – there exists no visa to establish this relationship timeframe. This requirement applies equally to de-facto opposite sex relationships, but not married couples. If I met someone of the opposite sex and married them three weeks later, we would not have to jump this hurdle. Another slap in the face is delivered to same sex couples (and defacto couples) where we cannot apply for a ‘prospective marriage visa’ – which clearly exists for ‘arranged marriages’ – and there is no requirement to even know the person you are marrying. Why is there a hurdle for same sex couples, yet if one wanted to marry someone they’d never met, they can get a visa right away? The federal government bends to the wishes of religious groups in allowing this to occur – this is disgraceful. The Minister for Immigration, Amanda Vanstone has admitted openly in the press that immigration law is discriminatory, and followed the statement with “but we will not be changing it”. How does that make a person in a same sex relationship feel? We can tell you – it makes us feel that we are worth less than heterosexual Australians. I [name withheld] am currently employed in federal government (part of the reason I ask that this submission be “names withheld” should it be published) and have been for 16 Н years. I earn a very good wage and pay very high taxes. I am unable to claim my partner as a dependent on my tax return during periods where he was not working, as the tax law discriminates between same sex couples and heterosexual relationships. Why are tax breaks delivered to heterosexual couples, but not to same sex couples? As a federal public servant, I [name withheld] am required pay superannuation into either PSS or CSS (I am with PSS), but I am unable to nominate my partner as beneficiary as these schemes do not recognise same sex relationships. I have willed my superannuation to my partner [name withheld] in the event of my death, but whether that occurs will only be seen should I die. Why do Comsuper schemes not allow same sex couples to nominate their partners as beneficiaries? If I had personal superannuation (I am entitled to, but don’t see the point in splitting super across multiple funds – particularly when the Comsuper schemes have a guarantee of no negative returns) I could nominate [name removed] [my partner], but not so in the scheme I am forced by law to be part of. The law says I must pay into the scheme and also says – “your same sex partner will not be getting any of it”. How unfair is that? Under the Medicare Safety Net, we are specifically excluded from applying as a couple, as the Act only recognises opposite sex partners. We would like to apply for the safety net as a couple or “family” but we are not able to. Why are same sex couples unable to apply for the Medicare Safety Net as a couple? I even tried online to register us as a family and it states “Medicare Safety Net recognises a spouse as being a person legally married and not separated, or a man and a woman in a de facto relationship.” This is outright discrimination – we live out of the same bank account, share all bills, are not able to claim each other’s dependent status on tax – thus as a homosexual couple, we should pay be subject of higher medicare safety net thresholds? We feel very aggrieved by this, especially since as a combined couple we would be more likely to be protected by it. We continually hear about “the sanctity of marriage” and the bible continually being trotted out to suit anything that discriminates against same sex couples – our understanding of the religious view of defacto couples (and here we mean opposite sex couples) is that they should be struck down by lightning for living in sin. Above all, as a same sex couple – we are made to feel second rate to heterosexual Australians. We are made to pay more taxes, pay more for health care (safety net thresholds), are not given financial security in death – particularly when one holds far greater superannuation than the other, in which case, should [name withheld] [my partner] survive [name withheld] [me] he will be forced to struggle without my superannuation. I also have a letter from Senator Minchin addressed to the both of us which basically states that even taking the “interdependent relationship” avenue for giving [name withheld] [my partner] access to my PSS death benefit, the federal government was of the opinion that the cost of allowing this (ie: allowing same sex couples equality under Comsuper rules) was far too great. We are happy to provide this letter to the inquiry if it so desires. We hope that your inquiry will make the government finally live up to decade old promises (which were once again promised and largely ignored during the totally discriminatory changing of the Marriage Act in 2004) to remove ALL aspects of discrimination at a federal level – not just some of them. Are we second rate citizens, sentenced to a life of higher costs and access to fewer services simply because of our sexuality? We think at this stage we are. Please feel free to contact us on the telephone number in our address block at the top of this letter should you wish to discuss any aspect of this submission personally. Regards, [Names withheld]     "#$‹Œ›œž И & C N O p  ‚ ё ў њŠ‹„†ŸЁЌЎАВУмр№STŒŽћ  №ё;ŒЇh пnл"#ќјќєј№чсчслс№згЯг№гќгЯЫЯЫЯЫЧЯЫУЫУЫУЫУЫПЫќЫУЧЫЧЫУЫќУЫУќЫУќУЫУЕЏЉЃ hU[6^J hM<О^J hš^Jhšhš6^Jh#jhhѓZжhšhU[6hљUЂh†Y.hsrК h8=п^J hПZѓ^JhАcшhПZѓ^JhПZѓhM<Оh8=пhW'Y@#$@QŒœžŸ ЁДЕ  œ  O P ‚ ƒ ‹Œнолi§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§1"B"§§ij#$‘’\!]!" 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