аЯрЁБс>ўџ 86ўџџџ9џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №ПDbjbjЫsЫs 7.ЉЉDџџџџџџЄќќќќќќќLєHHHH$l@%&ŒЂЂЂЂЂЂЂЄІІІІІІ$KhГ*ЪќєЂЂєєЪќќЂЂпшшшєќЂќЂЄшєЄшшќќшЂ€ аŽГМ ЦH .шЄѕ0%шн8ІншшнќќЈЂ0в"шєфЂЂЂЪЪо ЂЂЂ%єєєє@@@ф$ $@@@$ $4џџџџќќќќќќџџџџ 25 May 2006 Same-Sex Inquiry Human Rights Unit Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001 Via email:  HYPERLINK "mailto:samesex@humanrights.gov.au" samesex@humanrights.gov.au Dear Sir/Madam National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same-Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission to be above-mentioned inquiry. My partner of 3 years and I reside in the ACT. We are in a committed, long-term, loving same-sex relationship that enjoys the support, recognition and acceptance of family, friends and work colleagues. We are hardworking, law abiding citizens who make substantial net financial contributions to the Australian community and give our timely freely to local community organisations. Under ACT laws we would currently classed as domestic partners (having been together not less than 2 years) under the Domestic Relationships Act (1994). Essentially, this covers the adjustment of property interests, upon application to the courts should the relationship dissolve. This month, the ACT Legislative Assembly passed Civil Unions Bill (2006). Assuming that the Australian Government does not intervene, this will provide same-sex (or opposite sex) couples that take up the option of a Civil Union, the same rights as afforded to a ‘married couple’ under ACT laws. Some benefits of this include: • Health – it enables a doctor in an emergency situation, to discuss the personal health information of a patient with their same sex partner in order to provide and make decisions relating to proper treatment to the person. At the most basic level it would allow the partner the most fundamental right of visitation where access is restricted to family or next-of-kin; and • Inheritance – it enables the automatic inheritance of property under inheritance laws from a same sex partner. There would no longer the burden (cost, time, grief) of having to prove the existence of a relationship to gain access to this right afforded to married couples. Of course the above is a step in the right direction, however outside the jurisdiction of the ACT, we would again have no recognition and no rights, as no other states or territories (other than Tasmania) would recognise us as a couple. Again the burden of proof is bestowed upon us or we would need to seek the costly assistance of solicitors to prepare various legal documents (ie enduring powers of attorney etc.) in order to take control over matters such as health that opposite-sex couples take for granted. Superannuation – I am employed by a Commonwealth statutory authority and my partner is a Commonwealth public servant. My superannuation fund operated by the Commonwealth statutory authority, amended its rules of operation after the Australian Government amended legislation enabling the recognition of same-sex or interdependent persons as dependants for purposes of benefits. My fund, upon request has recognised our relationship and has accepted my partner as a dependent for the purposes of benefits. However, my partner a member of the Commonwealth PSS scheme cannot record me as a dependant. Upon taking this matter up with the Minister for Finance and Administration, my partner was advised on behalf of the Minister that the matter was being looked into, but couldn’t provide a definitive answer as to when it might be resolved. Apparently, there were amongst other things, budgetary considerations to be taken into account. I wonder exactly what budgetary considerations might reasonably need to be considered? I would have thought that the presumption would be that each member of this scheme could reasonably be expected to form a relationship, thereby giving rise to the existence of a dependant. Or alternatively, has the Government merely assumed that a certain percentage of people shall remain single or enter into a same-sex relationship, thereby reducing the Government’s liability as there is no dependant or none that they need both to recognise? Equity in benefits between PSS scheme members varies simply because of the sex of the dependent – this should be seen as nothing more than it is – that is a pure and simple case of blatant discrimination. Exactly how does my sex diminish my right or needs as a ‘dependant’. In any case, budgetary implications seem to be a moot point as most of the Commonwealth’s superannuation liability is unfunded anyway – isn’t that what the Future Fund is for anyway? Other areas of discrimination at a Federal level seem to be comprehensively documented in your paper. As I read through all the areas, the recurring thought that I have is; Why should my partner and I have to make a case to access these rights that are afforded to opposite sex couples, married or not? Instead, we should be asking the Federal government to explain to us exactly on what logical basis should we be denied these rights or benefits? We pay our taxes and contribute to society too. Too often, the excuse given is that these benefits relate to ‘families’ and the upbringing of children. Perhaps those that push this cart need to be reminded that children are not a requirement to access many of these Federal benefits – childless couples can access Federal benefits by virtue of the fact that they are simply of opposite sex. It is my sincere hope that as a result of your review, there will be greater community awareness, understanding and acknowledgement of the many basic day-to-day areas of discrimination that affect same-sex couples. In turn, I hope that this creates an impetus for all areas of government (particularly at a Federal level) to act to remove these areas of discrimination and injustice, so that loving and committed relationships, regardless of their gender composition, are recognised and treated equally by the law – no more, no less. 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