Equalise super now: Labor

Labor has urged the federal government to make good on its promise to remove anti-gay discrimination by reforming superannuation law to recognise all same-sex couples.Federal shadow attorney-general Nicola Roxon said the government should follow up its recent pledge to fix discrimination with the long-awaited superannuation reforms.Despite its promises in 2004, the Howard government refuses to fix superannuation properly for same sex couples -“ Commonwealth public servants are still not treated equally, Roxon said today.Recent reports that the Government was looking to address discrimination against same sex couples are empty promises if they can’t even keep to their word from previous elections.In 2004 the government gave same-sex couples in private sector super funds access to partner death benefits, using an interdependency relationship category that also included relatives and carers.The changes did not extend to public sector superannuation arrangements, but the Howard government promised in 2004 it would implement that reform. So far it has failed to do so.Labor senator Nick Sherry has submitted a freedom of information request for documents about the cost of recognising same-sex and interdependent couples under public sector superannuation schemes.Prime minister John Howard recently said he would consider removing anti-gay discrimination from some areas of federal law.