The NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby has called on the members of the South Australian Legislation Council to pass the Statutes Amendment (Relationship) Bill to ensure that the relationships of lesbians and gay men are properly recognised.

NSW became the first state to recognise same-sex relationships in 1999 with the support of both the Labour and Liberal parties. Since then similar legislation has passed in Victoria, WA, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. The NSW GLRL has written to each member of the SA Upper House calling on them to follow the lead of the other state parliaments in recognising the rights of same-sex couples to the same protections that are afforded to heterosexual couples.

The Male Convenor of the NSW GLRL, David Scamell, said: “It is imperative that SA Upper House pushes forward with this important piece of legislation. If the bill is sent to a parliamentary inquiry, the rights of thousands of lesbians and gay men in South Australian will once again be ignored”.

The Female Convenor, Julie McConnell, added: “ Since the passage of same-sex relationship in recognition in NSW, lesbian and gay couples have benefited from a comprehensive de facto relationship scheme, and society in general has gained from a system that now covers all forms of consenting adult relationships.”