Rudd’s equality buy-off
The Rudd Government has coughed up $450,000 ahead of next week’s federal budget as part of measures to ease the impact of the recent same-sex equality reforms.
But none of the money will go to the same-sex couples who will lose some or all Centrelink benefits from 1 July.
The National LGBT Health Alliance will receive $350,000 to run a national education campaign to inform the community about the reforms and their impact. A further $100,000 will go to the Welfare Rights Network to advocate on behalf of same-sex couples affected by the changes.
Other concessions through Centrelink include a more compassionate approach to dealing with debts and overpayments resulting from the changes, LGBT sensitivity training for relevant staff and clearer guides for the public to prevent unnecessary outing.
The grant is the first of its kind from the federal Government to the gay and lesbian community and the first funded project for the National LGBT Health Alliance.
Complex administrative issues prevent the -˜grandfathering’ of the reforms which was always our preferred option, Alliance executive director Gabi Rosenstreich said.
Nevertheless, we welcome the support the Commonwealth has agreed to provide and look forward to working with our government and community partners to help LGBT pensioners adjust to the changes.
The Alliance, primarily made up of AIDS councils, has only one staff member, meaning ACON will run the national campaign in consultation with LGBT organisations in each state and territory. A national advisory group will be formed this month to oversee this and future projects.
The campaign is expected to run for 12 months from July.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesman Rodney Croome said community organisations had done a great job obtaining this money but he concerned that it will all be managed by a national health network and not by local LGBT human rights groups that are closer to the issue.
It’d be a tragedy if this money was spent on focus groups and advertising agents instead of effective, local, grass-roots initiatives, he said.
Welfare Rights Centre director Maree O’Halloran said the organisation was already receiving calls from concerned couples, and the initial grant would need further funding in future years.
Last year’s federal budget estimated the equality reforms would save the Government around $66 million over 4 years after same-sex couples receiving Centrelink payments reverted from the single rate to the lesser couple rate.
Families Minister Jenny Macklin said that now the reforms are in place, the Government is working hard to ensure all same-sex couples have access to these entitlements and understand their obligations.
silly queens asked 4 this – how about paying back all their overpayments for the last decade at least?
Well I had my whinge yesterday & I note that others’ whinges have been voiced. However we have to move on to action – not that some of us haven’t been very busy with this issue for some time.
I’d like to suggest that as many gays and lesbians as possible write to Ministers Macklin, Ludwig & the Attorney-General & the others. And hey – if you can muster up pro-active supportive straights, ask them to write too!
Tell them it’s unfair & that protections are our right. Demand explanations. Demand social justice.
-¢ Attorney-General: The Hon Robert Bruce McClelland, E-mail: [email protected] NOTE the A-G is the minister primarily responsible for this.
-¢ Deputy Prime Minister: The Hon Julia Eileen Gillard, [email protected]
-¢ Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs: The Hon Jennifer Louise (Jenny) Macklin, E-mail: [email protected]
-¢ Minister for Human Services (Includes Centrelink & Medicare) Junior Minister to Macklin: Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig, E-mail: [email protected]
-¢ Minister for Health and Ageing: The Hon Nicola Roxon, Email: [email protected]
-¢ Minister for Ageing (Junior Minister to Roxon): The Hon Justine Elliot, E-mail: [email protected]
-¢ Leader of Opposition: The Hon Malcolm Turnbull, Email: [email protected]
MP contact details http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/memlist.pdf
Senators: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/index.htm
Let’s not give up folks.
Lavender.
-œequal treatment- instead of those that WANT to get married being able to… those who DON’T want to are thrust into the maximum relationship recognition through Centrelink.
This is what key NSW GLRL advisor Jenni Millbank was pushing for in many of her speeches & writings- an “automatic” defacto recognition, rather than an “opt-in” marriage system where only those who CHOSE to get married would be recognised.
Of course eventually defactos would be recognised too- but now those that want to get married can’t, and those that don’t want to are feeling the maximum weight of recognition by Centrelink & are thrust to the forefront as the “face” of maximum recognition.
For the past five+ months many grass roots lesbians & gays have been campaigning for a grandfather clause. Various mainstream organisations have also decried the losses which particularly older gays and lesbians face under this new regime of so called “equal treatment”. The fact of the matter is that this government lacked the will – and the community didn’t push early enough and hard enough. Many older gays and lesbians consider they have been sacrificed in the name of look-good feel-good rights. The onus is on the government to be fair yet instead they have taken the window-dressing option: equality across the board (formal equality) without attention to inequality of outcomes. Protections eg. phasing in, grandfathering, are not new & are recognised in law & administration as special measures (making for substantive equality). Protections put in place for the previous 15 years of changes to Centrelink – even throughout the Howard the Horrible era!
What a pity National LGBT Health Alliance executive director Gabi Rosenstreich had to parrot that meaningless mantra from various ministers viz -œComplex administrative issues prevent the -˜grandfathering’ . . .” There is always the facility for legislation to include savings and protections. There is also the minister’s use of delegated legislation or regulations. The truth is that the govt. just wanted to move on with the least amount of debate & they are shit scared of the media exposing their underbelly.
As for the “coalition” of GLBTI groups – reported elsewhere as being responsible for getting this “win” out of Canberra. Well if you had all bothered to consult more widely in the past, especially with older gays and lesbians, then listened & reported on those voices which called for protections & warned of the danger of the “wins and losses” approach – then things would be different. Oh well you’re not worried – you’ve got your pieces of silver now.
“The grant is the first of its kind from the federal Government to the gay and lesbian community”? If that’s correct, then that’s an understated achievement right there.
It’s also refreshening to see at least some lobby groups acknowledging reality that “complex administrative [not to mention consequent equity] issues prevent the grandfathering of the reforms”.
No doubt the trenchant homo-purist idealogues — a noisy cabal of which have seemingly have sought to use this issue as an ageist classist wedge within their own community and as a platform for preaching their divisive personal contempt for equal marriage — will make up the slack in self-delusion.
Well said Sally. In regards to your comment “government that frankly doesn’t give a toss about us” – At least this government in my opinion is a big step up from Howards Liberal party when it comes to LGBT rights, Rudds party at least acknowledges we exist and has removed a huge amount of discrimination.
I do not know what constitutes a ‘human rights’ organisation and what doesn’t – the distinction fascinates me.
I would have thought that anyone familiar with the social determinants of health, ie that economics, housing, social factors all determine health, including discrimination, would know that a national health organisation IS a human rights organisation, but hey maybe they didn’t take sociology 101.
I want to commend those who have fought long and hard, lobbying, writing letters, campaigning, working for the best outcome that could be had, amidst a government that frankly doesn’t give a toss about us. They will be loving seeing us turn on each other rather than seeing that a range of concessions have been dragged like blood from a stone, and the funding is for community controlled education and advocacy, two things the community is CRYING OUT FOR – attend a few forums all over Australia and you will see that.
No we didn’t get grandfathering, and the govt deserves to be kicked and hounded for that, it is mean and lousy.
If we kick and hound and criticise those who sat at tables in Canberra talking with a govt that didn’t give a shit, we are giving them more glee than they every imagined.
Wake up, commend those who have worked so bloody hard and fought so hard, and stop harping from the sidelines if you were never on board.
What govt would have funded little state organisations to do this work – NONE. Of course it will be grassroots based, what an unnecessarily misleading and destructive comment.
This isn’t a buy off, it’s some community control and a national organisation with some credibility and genuine state based membership – show me another one.
Hey David,
Information on changes to the law is on this website: http://www.safetypartnership.nsw.gov.au/
well, the queen I spoke to yesterday that does the interviews at Sennalink told me they’re dreading these changes because, ‘gay relationships are so complicated.’ “TWO boyfs, six fuckbuds (whatever that is) and the ‘gaydar hookups’? Oh, which box to tick…eeeny meany ….”
And as acon have known that the welfare gays would be up the creek for years and their only response then was ‘they’ll have to adjust their finances’ (WHAT finances?) isn’t putting them in charge of another campaign a bit like putting the aardvark in charge of the termite hill?
Sensitivity training? Puh=lease. This is money down the drain.
So the government has given nothing apart from money for lobbyists’ groups. Just as long as the Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby does not get any of the education money after their incompetent job on the reforms. They are a laughing stock among mainstream welfare groups for their sell-out of older gays & lesbians in the reform process.
We need a comprehensive brochure/communication about ALL the new rights we can access- 100 new rights… what are they????? (and how do we access them?)
The Centrelink responsibilities are a key issue- but also what are the rights/benefits we can access from Centrelink- where is the list of them & what are they worth (Centrelink themselves should be paying to advertise this part)
I don’t know if giving the money to a “government-influenced” / often non-gay-specific-when-it-suits-them AIDS organisation is the best group to give 1/2 a mil to to educate “us”.
We really need instead a national Gay&Lesbian rights organisation, or co-op of states rights orgs, that should get the money.
ACON will run the national campaign? Oh fuck me.