╨╧рб▒с>■  -/■   .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ье┴` Ё┐+bjbj╦s╦s *йй+      дююююююю$Ї` ` ` ` l ╣ М М М М М М М М 8::::::$┘hA*^юДМ М ДД^ююМ М sшшшДюМ юМ 8шД8шшююшМ А p.Е╕а╞` Ъ"ш$Й0╣шk╝"kшkюш<М Zц @ш& 4Z *М М М ^^▐ М М М ╣ДДДДф№ d№     юююююю     Same-Sex Inquiry Human Rights Unit Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission GPO Box 5218 SYDNEY NSW 2001 28 May 2006 RE: WAR WIDOW/ERТS PENSIONS AND OTHER STATUTORY SCHEMES Partners of those who have served in the Australian Defence Forces are usually entitled to receive a war widow/erТs pension when their partner dies. However, this does not apply to same-sex partners. Please see attached correspondence from the then Minister for VeteranТs Affairs, the Hon. De-Anne Kelly for confirmation of this [Submission No. 250(II)]. In addition, Ms Kelly advises in the second last paragraph of her letter, that same sex couples may continue to experience discrimination in Уother statutory schemes such as superannuation and compensationФ (emphasis mine). Gay war veterans laid down their lives or were injured for our country. They protected us. We should protect them and their families. Why are their families less deserving of being afforded this protection? They did not fight solely to protect those in same-sex relationships, they fought to protect all of us, regardless of our sexual preference. It is ironic that they fought to even protect those who would come to institute policies which would deliberately discriminate them and their families. At 11am on 11 November each year (and for the next 5000 years) a ray of light will fall on the word УLoveФ inside the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. What does this tell us about what was considered important by those who fought, and their loved ones who built this Shrine. Let us not take for granted the sacrifice they gave to us and accept and respect one another. HavenТt we learnt the lessons that fighting in wars all around the world has taught us? Many of them fought and gave their lives to make this world a better place. Let us not dishonour their memory by denying pensions to their families. Let us not dishonour and tarnish the world they fought to defend, by continuing to uphold bigotry and discrimination. Have we learned nothing from their sacrifice? Yours sincerely, Walter Lee Б╡  к ┴ ┘ щ +ЎыЎсЎ╓Ў╓ЎhВ╦>*CJOJQJh∙"qCJOJQJhВ╦;БCJOJQJhВ╦CJOJQJ #Q^no{|}╡╢K L   № ¤ ╤ ╥ ∙ · ╠═  ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°¤¤$a$+¤*+¤¤¤(░{. ░╞A!░"░#Ра$Ра%░░─░─ Р─ЖЬ<@ё < NormalCJ_HmH sH tH DAЄ бD Default Paragraph FontViє │V  Table Normal :V Ў4╓4╓ laЎ (kЇ ┴(No List HЩ@ЄH ¤ї Balloon TextCJOJQJ^JaJ+       "&г+#Q^no{|}╡╢KL№¤╤╥∙·╠═  *-k Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бsk Бs#Q^no{|}╡╢KL№¤╤╥∙·╠═  *-Ш0ААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0ААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АААШ0АА#Q^no{|}╡╢KL№¤╤-hЛ0HhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0АhЛ0Рж+ + +   р@dС─р@┤щр@dtр@ р@Lю р@▄GUU^^ЙЙ-X]ddТТ-8*Аurn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttagsАCityА9*Аurn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttagsАplaceА:*Аurn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttagsАStreetА;*Аurn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttagsАaddressА lц╩%)-  -::**-- хg'SJ╦XР|X∙"qBK▓В╦¤їrr *- @А╪7╩+p@  Unknown            GРЗz А Times New Roman5РАSymbol3&Р Зz А Arial3РЗz А Times5&Р ЗzaА Tahoma qИЁ╨h╕3зЖ╕3зЖЪ}жЖX╙1X╙1▒Ёе└┤┤А24do2ГqЁ▄╚P)Ё ?ф                     SJ2  ■ рЕЯЄ∙OhлС+'│┘0dРШд░╝╚▄ шЇ   , 8DLT\ф Normal.dot4Microsoft Office Word@F├#@№▄vР╞@░Зy╕а╞@░Зy╕а╞X╙■ ╒═╒Ь.УЧ+,∙о0° pxДМФЬд м┤╝─ ╠ ┘ф1и  Title ■   ■   ■   !"#$%&'■   ¤   *■   ■   ■                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Root Entry         └FpЯЕ╕а╞,А1Table        kWordDocument        *SummaryInformation(    DocumentSummaryInformation8             CompObj            q                        ■                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ■       └FMicrosoft Office Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.8Ї9▓qRoot Entry         └Fр┬╗о┼а╞11Table        kWordDocument        *SummaryInformation(     ■   ■   ■                                                       0¤   ■   ■   ■                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ■   ■                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   DocumentSummaryInformation8            pCompObj            q                        ■       └FMicrosoft Office Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.8Ї9▓q■ ╒═╒Ь.УЧ+,∙оD╒═╒Ь.УЧ+,∙о<° pxДМФЬд м┤╝─ ╠ ┘ф1и  Title4 $А,░