Equality legislation in Australia
September 10th, 2008 by Rosie
Australia has this week introduced a bill to improve equality for gay and lesbian people.
The Same-Sex Entitlements Bill, introduced into Parliament this week, will remove discrimination against same-sex partners in a wide range of areas including immigration, taxation, veterans’ pensions and aged care.
“The changes will make a practical difference to the lives of a group of our fellow Australians who have suffered discrimination for far too long,” argued Attorney-General Robert McClelland. “Importantly, the reforms will ensure children are not discriminated against because of the structure of their family. … It is time to stop treating people differently under Commonwealth laws or programs because of who they love.”
“This is a long overdue reform which will help make Australia a fairer society,” said Rodney Croome, spokesman for the Australian Coalition for Equality. “We now urge the government to quickly move on to removing discrimination against same-sex couples and their children in family law, as it promised at the last election.”
Critics of the Bill claim that it undermines monogamy. “Not only is the Labor Party legalising polygamy, but it’s changing the law so that the third person in an extramarital relationship can effectively claim the assets of a marriage or of the long-term de facto relationship,” said Victorian Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella.
In response, Croome, accused the Opposition of making an ideological attack on de facto couples. “The Opposition is saying a marriage without love is more important than a de facto relationship with it,” said Coombe. This is an ideological attack on the rights and protections all de facto couples have enjoyed for more than a generation in both state and federal law.
“It’s a fact of life that in some de facto relationships one partner may still be married, at least on paper, and that unless such de facto relationships have some legislative protection the unmarried partner is legally and financial vulnerable, especially if their de facto relationship breaks down.”
[via GayinWA]
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