The report Same-Sex: Same Entitlements details the systematic discrimination of same-sex couples. It found that 58 federal laws deny at least 20,000 same sex couples and their children financial and work related entitlements, entitlements that are freely available to opposite-sex couples and their children.
We expressed our concern at the increased push for terms and conditions to be moved from highly transparent and legally enforceable collective agreements into less transparent and unenforceable policy.
We also identified that the increased use of Australian Workplace Agreements (AWA's), which are not subject to public scrutiny, could increase the risk of discriminatory arrangements.
Last week, the Government announced a Senate Inquiry into the provision of the Superannuation Amendment Bill. The Bill does establish a number of changes to Commonwealth public sector superannuation which the CPSU supports.
However, if a few additional simple amendments to the Bill were introduced, it would be possible to prevent same-sex couple discrimination entirely and the CPSU will raise these in the Inquiry.
After the HREOC report was published, the Prime Minister stated that while his government did not support discrimination, it would not be rushed to act to rectify the situation.