аЯрЁБс>ўџ CEўџџџDџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС#` №П ,bjbj\.\. .>>D>D $џџџџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄЄЄДЊЊЊЊ,жТу2ііііібббbdddddd$h}*ˆЄГббГГˆЄЄіілбббГ ЄіЄіbбГbббЎЄЄњіъ p5D ЧЊН ЦbГ0уЮ,ЇЧЇњЇЄњhбЎ|бћd_TбббˆˆЧ бббуГГГГТТТd& „ТТТ& И4ь"џџџџЄЄЄЄЄЄџџџџ Action Reform Change Queensland (ARCQ)/ Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC) Submission to the National Inquiry into Discrimination against people in Same-Sex Relationships: Discussion Paper II Introduction Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this second stage of the inquiry. ARCQ and QAHC have welcomed the inquiry and were pleased to contribute to organising and participating in the hearings in Brisbane and Townsville. Key issues highlighted by the Discussion Paper The Discussion Paper and Research paper clearly highlight the following difficulties with a wide range of Federal laws: there is ambiguity about whether terms such as spouse, partner, marriage-like relationship or associate include a same-sex partner. This results in confusion, disappointment and financial impediments to full inclusion in society by same sex couples. The children of same sex couples are disadvantaged by biological notions of family which potentially also disadvantage children of heterosexual partners who have children through assisted reproduction. While some legislation includes interdependency provisions, this is far from universal even within these areas of law (migration and superannuation) and fails to provide full protection and legal recognition of same sex de facto relationships. De facto relationship definition While ARCQ and QAHC support creating a uniform definition of de facto, we also believe there are additional options to recognising same sex relationships. This includes presumptive recognition of significant relationships, registration schemes and marriage. All forms of relationship recognition should be fully considered and no one form will meet the diverse needs of people in same sex relationships. The current situation creates uncertainty and possible financial and emotional strain on families. The Research Paper clearly identifies that there is some legislation which recognises our relationships, other legislation that recognises us in some ways, (maybe, if it is tested in court), and yet other legislation that has been clearly interpreted not to apply to us. This piecemeal and discriminatory approach must be remedied. The definition of de facto proposed in the discussion paper takes the right approach from our perspective, highlighting a number of things which may be relevant to establishing a de facto relationship. However, we would query having cohabitation as an essential requirement, given the complexity of modern committed relationships. People with former relationships (same sex or heterosexual), particularly if they have children, often keep their own residences for the sake of stability for children or because both partners own property. Such partners may still share their lives and have ongoing committed relationships, may share finances, child care responsibilities, buy other property together and provide each other with support and care. It would be ridiculous not to recognise these ongoing relationships as de facto and continue the legal fiction of treating same–sex couples as singles. ARCQ and QAHC also agree with the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Commission that item (j) while on its face appears reasonable, may be understood by some members of the community as requiring registration. At this stage, Queensland has no registration or civil union scheme, however if this is achieved in future, it must remain a choice which does not affect people’s de facto rights or presumptive rights. The benefit of de facto recognition and also of a wider form of presumptive recognition is that people get the recognition when and if they need it, whether or not they wish to “register” in any way with authorities. Many heterosexual people are choosing not to marry, and many same-sex couples are likely to not form a civil union or register their relationship, even when this becomes available. The experience from other countries is that there is a peak in registration/civil union/ marriage when these forms of recognition first become available then demand drops off. ARCQ and QAHC support further consideration of the presumptive recognition available in Tasmania, which gives recognition to a wide range of relationships as defined by the people themselves, rather than trying to come up with a perfect (yet inevitably restrictive) definition of de facto. Many of us don’t use the term de facto about our relationships, but are able to identify with whom with have significant personal relationships. The law should match our experience as much as possible. Child in current federal law ARCQ and QAHC are aware of some same sex couples for whom ongoing contact with children is difficult for the non-biological partner following a break down of the relationship. This is exacerbated by the lack of protection at family law and in federal legislation. While the research paper acknowledges that some people may be recognised if they have a parenting order through the Family Court, it is understood that this is an expensive way to gain parenthood status and in practical terms may not be widely used. Reform of presumption of parenthood legislation (such as the Status of КкСЯЧщБЈеО Act in Queensland) would assist those parents who have children with their partner through assisted reproduction to be recognised, at least by State law. However the lack of overt recognition of non-biological parents in Federal legislation continues to disadvantage children and have a detrimental affect on a family's sense of themselves. Families are under enough pressure without being discriminated against in this fashion. КкСЯЧщБЈеО should feel the same level of support from both parents wherever possible, including being able to access child support and funds due to them as dependents through their parents superannuation or retirement funds. ARCQ and QAHC support reform which gives the broadest and most accessible range of legal protections for children being raised in same-sex families, while still having certainty as to which relationships are covered in each statute. ARCQ and QAHC support Option 5 which incorporates Option 1 and Option 4 for recognising a child of same sex parents. We support Option 1 – the creation of a new Federal definition which includes the consenting female partner of a woman who has a child through assisted conception (perhaps through the Acts Interpretation Act, rather than the Family Law Act, as not all legislation concerning children relates to family law concepts). Such a definition needs to not be too “medically” focussed, as many couples have children without medical assistance. The wider definition in Option 4 is worth considering over the definition in Option 1, which limits parental recognition to non-biological parents whose partner has had a child through assisted reproduction. There may be some same-sex couples for whom parental recognition is appropriate in other circumstances, such as where the other biological parent has died or is no longer available to parent for another reason. While there is some merit in Option 2, States such as Queensland does not yet have presumption of parenthood legislation which could create confusion. Other areas of discrimination covered in the Discussion Paper The research paper touches on the affect of discriminatory federal laws on people with different income levels. Further research would be needed to identify the costs and benefits to people in different financial circumstances; however the paper identifies that there is significant detriment to same sex couples in the areas of taxation, Medicare, superannuation, discrimination and other areas across all income levels. Like heterosexual couples, we could benefit from opportunities to combine our incomes more effectively. Symbolically, full recognition of our relationships is important in granting us full human rights. We’ve seen the positive effect on self-esteem which changes such as those introduced in the United Kingdom have had on long term couples. Older people in same sex relationships are increasingly vocal about their rights to be respected and their long term relationships valued. Equal treatment in terms of assets tests for aged care is an extension of this. Minimum industrial rights are fundamental. At a meeting of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender trade unionists in Perth in November 2006, participants discussed the fundamental importance of access to the same set of rights as other workers including carers leave, parental leave and adoption in enterprise agreements and individual workplace contacts. Conclusion: Lack of recognition of their relationships causes the same sex couples in contact with ARCQ and QAHC distress, confusion and in some cases financial hardship. The ambiguity in legislation also encourages silence in policy, programs and advertising material, so that same-sex couples are unclear what they are entitled to and when they should declare their relationship. ARCQ and QAHC urge the Australian Government to fully consider the HREOC recommendations and removing discrimination against same sex couples in Australia in accordance with their civil and political rights recognised in international law. 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