Same-sex discrimination removed
- Published on 2/05/2008
We welcome the Attorney-General’s announcement that it will be introducing laws to remove discrimination against same-sex relationships from federal legislation.
The Government has announced that it has identified about 100 laws in which discrimination against same-sex couples is contained. According to the Government, these reforms will reverse existing discrimination in such areas as superannuation, taxation, social security, workers compensation, medicare and pharmaceutical benefits schemes, amongst others.
The reform follows the ‘landmark report’ by HREOC in which it highlighted 58 pieces of Commonwealth legislation which were discriminatory against same-sex couples.
However, we believe that the removal of discrimination should extend to laws relating to the legal union of couples, otherwise known as marriage.
The right to non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation is an internationally recognised principle, affirmed by the international community for more than a decade.
To continue to prevent same-sex couples from entering into a legally binding union on the basis of sexual orientation is, on its face, discriminatory.
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