Gay pension rejection -˜discriminatory’

A Sydney man who lived with his late war veteran partner for more than 20 years had his war widow’s pension revoked after the government learned the pair had been in a same-sex relationship.Federal Labor MP for Sydney Tanya Plibersek told parliament yesterday Jiro Takamisawa moved to Australia to be with his partner Jack George.Takamisawa, originally from Japan, nursed World War II veteran George through a long illness until his death last October, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.Before George’s death, Takamisawa gained a part carer’s pension. He also became an Australian citizen on the basis of his relationship with his same-sex partner.Takamisawa knew he was ineligible for a war widow’s pension as the surviving partner of a gay relationship, but he wrote to the Department of Veterans’ Affair regardless last December asking for the allowance.He was shocked to receive a letter the following month addressed to Ms Jiro Takamisawa and granting him a pension, with a veteran’s gold card attached.Takamisawa called the Department to clarify he was male. A few days later a courier arrived with a letter revoking the man’s pension and his gold card.An appeal to the Veterans’ Review Board in August was unsuccessful.Plibersek yesterday accused the government of inconsistent treatment of same-sex relationships.The government is inconsistent and discriminatory. They have recently included same-sex couples in the proposed new terrorism laws, but are otherwise not prepared to recognise long, committed, loving relationships, she said.But Veterans’ Affairs Minister, De-Anne Kelly, rejected claims of inconsistency in laws about same-sex relationships in the Australian Defence Force, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.She said veterans groups did not support changes regarding war widows’ pensions and same-sex partnerships.