Adoption on the cards?

Last week the NSW State Government announced it would propose changes to the Adoption Act. In a press release, Premier Iemma said the purpose of the proposed changes was to make it easier for foster carers, step-parents and other relatives to adopt a child in their care.
At this stage, it is unclear whether these changes will reform the Adoption Act to make same-sex couples eligible to apply for adoption. Absurdly, at present, lesbians and gay men are eligible to apply for adoption as individuals but not as a couple. Adoption law remains one of the few areas in NSW law which discriminate against same-sex couples. Will the NSW Government show leadership and courage on adoption equality in NSW?
The NSW Government has already moved to recognise non-biological lesbian mothers as legal parents where children are born through donor insemination. While these welcome reforms will recognise the majority of families in our community, there is little doubt that some kids still continue to miss out. Adoption equality is desperately needed to provide equality for some kids with same-sex parents who were not included in the recent reforms.
Legal recognition through adoption is important, particularly for children in some blended, step or foster families. It ensures children can have a birth certificate which reflects their family. It gives people who are parenting children legal rights to sign notes for school and approve medical treatment. Adoption would also ensure children enjoy automatic inheritance rights.
Every day that children in our community are denied legal recognition of their families is another day a child will continue to face the cruelty of discrimination. The time has long passed for the governments to fix this vexed missing piece in the same-sex equality family portrait. Premier Iemma, will same-sex adoption reform be included in proposed reforms to the Adoption Act?