аЯрЁБс>ўџ JLўџџџKџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС` №Пљ*bjbjЫsЫs .8ЉЉљ"џџџџџџЄ~~~~~~~(((( 4$ w*hddddddddі)ј)ј)ј)ј)ј)ј)$п+hG.**~ЂddЂЂ*~~dd1*иииЂR~d~dі)иЂі)ииrЦ(T~~Ц)dX  ОШHДЦ(єВ)і)G*0w*()žq.І(q.Ц)q.~Ц)0dZО@иў42pddd**Ю dddw*ЂЂЂЂ  $ $’Tц6џџџџ~~~~~~џџџџ [Name Withheld] [Details removed] 16 June 2006 Same-Sex Inquiry Human Rights Unit Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission GPO Box 5218 Sydney NSW 2001 Via email: samesex@humanrights.gov.au Dear Sir/Madam Re: National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same-Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits Although I am not the victim of same-sex relationship discrimination, I fear that I could be if certain circumstances arise. My main concern is about the lack of formal, legal recognition of our relationship. My partner and I have been together for 3 and a half years, and in the unlikely event of separation I am concerned my partner will not be recognised for a range of entitlements available to married, heterosexual couples because our relationship status is ignored in law. While Victorian Government law is mostly non-discriminatory (aside from parenting and IVF rights), many rights – for example, in the areas of superannuation, inheritance and hospital visitation – can be easily denied because my partner may not be able to prove our relationship status. However, at the Commonwealth level, the discrimination is more pernicious. And in many areas – for example, superannuation, taxation, Medicare, Public Benefits Scheme (PBS), social security, veterans’ benefits and defence force entitlements – specifically deny same-sex couples equal entitlements as married couples even if a relationship can be proven. Below I have listed some areas where discrimination exists against same-sex couples, and is in need of rectification. Aged Care Same-sex interdependent couples are not recognised under the Aged Care Act 1997, often resulting in a same-sex partner qualifying for less financial assistance under the Residential Care Subsidy Scheme. Defence/Veteran's Affairs Discrimination remains under the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Act 1973, Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 and the Defence Force (Home Loans Assistance) Act 1990 among others, with respect to: Spousal funeral and counselling entitlements Spousal death benefits, compensation and pension entitlements Retirement benefits and superannuation Access to ADF housing loans. Family Law The Family Law Act 1975 excludes same-sex couples from accessing the Family Court on the breakdown of a relationship. The exception is for disputes relating to children in same-sex families. On the breakdown of a relationship where children are involved, same-sex couples must pursue both matters in the state jurisdiction for property matters and in the Family Court for matters relating to children. Insurance The regulation of the insurance industry is the sole domain of the federal government. No state legislation, including anti-discrimination legislation, can control the insurance industry's activities. Therefore, as no federal anti-discrimination legislation exists to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexuality - and no state legislation can be used - the insurance industry cannot be challenged if it discriminates against lesbians or gay men in the provision of insurance services and the like. Medicare/National Health The Medicare and PBS Safety Nets contain definitions of couples and family groups contained in the Health Insurance Act 1973 and National Health Act 1953, which do not recognise same-sex couples. This means that same-sex interdependent partners have two individual safety net thresholds, due to the system disallowing them to register as a family unit. Furthermore, the Medicare and PBS expenses of the same-sex couple are split between the two separate thresholds which makes it harder to reach each of the two separate thresholds. Superannuation The Government passed the Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Choice of Superannuation Funds) Act 2005 which extended the definition of 'dependant' with respect to some superannuation laws. As a result, same-sex couples may qualify as dependants under the new category of 'interdependency relationships'. However, the reforms do not remove discrimination against same-sex interdependent couples in all areas. Discrimination remains in: Superannuation schemes for federal government/public sector employees, including military personnel. Superannuation co-contribution Super splitting upon relationships breakdown Reversionary pensions Low-income rebate and anti-detriment reserve. Taxation The Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 excludes same-sex partners from the definition of a 'spouse', meaning that same-sex interdependent couples are excluded from the income tax benefits available to heterosexual couples. This also means the lesbians or gay men who are non-biological co-parents of children do not have access to the same income tax benefits relating to their child as heterosexual parents do. Under the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, same-sex interdependent couples are excluded from the following income tax benefits: Dependant spouse rebate Housekeeper rebate Child-housekeeper rebate Parent rebate Superannuation rebate Medical expenses rebate Heterosexual couples are given concessional rates for other benefits, which do not apply for same-sex couples. These include: Pensioner rebate Low-income aged person's rebate Medical expenses rebate Under the Medicare Levy Act 1986, the eligibility of a taxpayer for payment of the Medicare Levy is decreased if they have a dependent spouse. This option is not available for same-sex interdependent couples as the law excludes same-sex partners from the definition of a 'spouse'. Welfare The Social Security Act 1991 excludes same-sex interdependent couples, by restricting the definition of a 'couple' to married and opposite-sex de facto couples. Therefore, lesbians and gay men are assessed as individuals for the purposes of social security. As a result, lesbians and gay men are not eligible for a number of benefits. For example, a partner allowance cannot be paid to a lesbian or gay man whose partner is receiving the disability support pension, age pension, mature age allowance, sickness allowance, special benefit, Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance, Austudy or Abstudy. Lesbians are not eligible for the widow B pension nor the widow allowance, as these are only available to women who were in a heterosexual relationships and have been widowed, deserted or divorced. The bereavement allowance is only payable to a person whose heterosexual partner has died. I believe that these laws breach Australia’s international obligations. In particular, they contravenes Article 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR): All persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law. In this respect, the law shall prohibit any discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection against discrimination on any ground such as … birth or other status. article 2, section 1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC): States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the present Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's … sex, … birth or other status. article 2, section 2 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC): States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, … of the child's parents, legal guardians, or family members. by denying entitlements to same-sex partners that would be available to opposite sex spouses. I believe that the denial of many of these rights to certain families, especially those with children, on the basis of a discriminatory definition of “spouse”, is against basic human rights principles of equality, dignity and protection of children. This definition of “spouse” is used in much Commonwealth legislation denies same-sex couples a range of practical entitlements available to heterosexual couples. Discrimination in all the aforementioned areas of Commonwealth law can be removed, and there are three main ways for this to occur. I believe that all three options should be enacted: by establishing comprehensive definitions of “interdependent relationship”, to include same-sex couples, and extending many spousal rights; by establishing a national civil union or relationship registration scheme, to allow couples to register their relationship to receive equal entitlements to heterosexual and married couples; or by altering the Marriage Act 1961 (Cth), to recognise marriages between two men and between two women. I thank you for taking into account my submission. I eagerly await the final report, and look forward to the removal of all areas of discrimination in Commonwealth law. 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