Still no anti-discrimination commitment
Gay and lesbian advocacy groups took part in the Rudd Government’s annual human rights forum last week with Attorney-General Robert McClelland.
Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion Ursula Stephens also took part, the day after addressing a controversial Christian anti-gay marriage breakfast in Parliament’s Great Hall.
The agenda included national harmonisation of anti-discrimination laws and a new online forum for non-profit organisations that contribute to social inclusion.
However, no commitment was made to federal laws covering discrimination on the basis of sexuality, gender identity or relationship status.
McClelland said a committee representing federal, state and territory Attorney-General departments would report options on further reforms to ministers in 2010.
The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 says “de facto spouse” (meaning only a couple of the opposite-sex) 3 times in the whole Act, this three references need to be amended to say “de facto or registered partner”.
It should say:
“de facto or registered partner” means – see section 22(a), 22(b) and 22(c) in the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Commonwealth).
Ursula Stephens has been swept up in the euphoria of the Gay Hate rally & dog whistle politics, the same as Nicola Roxon did in the 2004 rally (with her euphoria still yet to wear off).
By being exposed to those rallies, they see these Evangelical Christians as highly organised powerful swinging voters that need to be wooed at all costs.
The Australian Christian Lobby website is currently full of articles & action plans on stopping any moves to enact anti discrimination laws or any bill of rights. They have us over a barrel. We need the anti discrimination legislation (or access to equal civil marriage) in order to shield ourselves from discrimination in private superannuation.
A number of the board members of the private super funds are arch homophobes, and there is nothing in law to force private super funds to recognise same sex defactos (nor can we access civil marriage to force them to recognise us).
So it’s up to the discrecion of possibly a couple of vocal homophobe private super board members as to whether or not their fund will grant payouts & pension claims for same sex couples, eating into thier bottom line profits (our hard earned “gay” money is pure cream profit to them for every claim they reject cause we’re gay)
Add to that fact that the majority of the workforce work in the private sector (Rudd only fixed the govt sector) & you quickly realise we are sitting on a human train wreck, with lives & finances possibly ruined many times in the years to come.
Those on Centrelink get maximum recognition however (they even get a Centrelink “civil union” register!!!, in order to ensure payments are cut), but for the general workforce they have no register to prove thier status, and are at the mercy of the private sector with no proper national anti discrimination laws in place to protect them from dodgy private superannation boards. (in leiu of anti discrimination laws, just simply granting us access to civil marriage in a govt registry office would instantly solve the problem with private super funds too- but the AustChristianLobby have us blocked on both counts, with the blessing of Labor).