Same Sex: Speech

National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same-Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits

Opening Statement for Public Hearing

Melbourne, 27 September 2006

Graeme Innes AM, Human Rights Commissioner

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission

I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we are meeting and pay my respects to the elders both past and present.

I would once again like to thank the Equal Opportunity Commission of Victoria for their assistance in arranging the hearings and for hosting us in their offices both yesterday and today.

Welcome

Welcome to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's second of two days in Melbourne to conduct public hearings for the National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same-Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits.

Melbourne is the only city where we have held two days of hearings and we are doing so because of the overwhelming number of interesting and thoughtful submissions from Victoria.

For those of you who were here yesterday I apologise for the repetition but for newcomers, let me tell you a bit about this Inquiry.

What is this Inquiry about?

This Inquiry is about equal rights for gay and lesbian couples trying to access the financial entitlements and work benefits that heterosexual couples take for granted.

The right to non-discrimination and the right to equality before the law are two of the most fundamental principles of human rights law. Yet there are a raft of laws on Australia's books that clearly deny certain rights to gay and lesbian couples.

Our goal is to identify those discriminatory laws, explain the impact of those laws on real people and recommend changes to those laws so that the discrimination disappears.

What is today's hearing about?

During the hearing this morning we hope to gather more information from selected organisations and individuals who have already made written submissions to the Inquiry.

In addition to formal public hearings, we are holding informal community forums in capital cities and regional areas. The purpose of those forums is to allow any individual to share their views and experiences with the Inquiry. One of those forums took place two nights ago in Melbourne and another will take place on tomorrow night in Daylseford.

These two types of consultations are part of the second phase of the Same-Sex: Same Entitlements Inquiry.

What has happened so far in the Inquiry?

The first phase of the Same-Sex: Same Entitlements Inquiry commenced on 3 April this year. At that time we published a Discussion Paper outlining some of our preliminary research. We also invited any individual or group to provide us with written submissions.

We have been delighted with the response. We now have more than 350 written submissions from individuals and organisations. And we received almost 90 submissions from Victoria - approximately 25% of the total number of submissions.

What do the written submissions talk about?

The written submissions cover many issues, including leave entitlements, workers' compensation, social security, Medicare benefits, superannuation death benefits and taxes.

It is not surprising that these issues preoccupy many in the gay and lesbian community. After all, everyone struggles to minimise expenses and maximise income to provide financial stability during life and to leave one's family in the best possible situation after death.

But it is disappointing that there are so many laws which make it so much harder for gay and lesbian couples to manage their finances, when compared to heterosexual couples.

We are very concerned by the large number of submissions that describe the considerable stress and anguish caused to gay and lesbian couples by these discriminatory laws.

For example, some submissions describe how a gay man, unlike a heterosexual man, may be denied access to his partner's superannuation benefits if his partner worked for the Commonwealth public service.

Other submissions tell us that a lesbian woman, unlike a heterosexual woman, cannot claim tax rebates for child care. Nor can she claim a tax offset for her dependent partner.

And if a gay couple needs medical treatment and medication, they must spend more than a straight couple before they get the benefit of the Medicare Safety Net or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme protections.

The submissions describe the financial strain that these discriminatory laws place on gay and lesbian couples. They also suggest that the law treats gay and lesbian couples as second class citizens, not deserving of the same rights as heterosexual couples. As one person put it:

I am "first-class taxpayer but second-class citizen"1

Another person expressed his frustration as follows:

The inequalities embedded in current legislation are obvious and are inexcusable. "Understanding, tolerance and inclusion" are said to be values of the Australian community. Current legislation tells another story.2

What are we going to hear about today?

Today we are going to hear from a variety of Victorian experts who will tell us more about the discriminatory laws on the books, how they work and how they should be changed.

We will also hear from some individuals who have kindly agreed to tell us about how they have tried to cope with the impact of discriminatory laws.

What are the rules of the day?

For any media in the room, you should check in with the Commission's staff. They have some printed notes for media on confidentiality and privacy issues that may arise.

If there are any individuals in the room who do not wish to be identified, you should also speak to Commission staff.

How will the proceedings be recorded?

The Commission will be recording all of the testimony on audio files. We will attempt to place those files on our website as soon as possible.

We will also be taking notes from the proceedings and will be placing a summary of those notes on the website.

What documents are available?

You can obtain a written copy of the Agenda from Commission staff if you would like to see a full list and approximate timetable of the people who will be appearing today.

In addition we have a one page document giving some background to the Inquiry (a green document).

And if you are sitting in the audience and would like to provide some further comments to us about the issues we are talking about (a pink form) please see our staff.

Conclusion

Many thanks for coming to listen today. We hope you find the testimony interesting and informative.