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23 Februrary 2007 - Former Chief Justice calls for gay reform |
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Results from Australia's largest ever community consultation on same-sex relationship recognition has prompted the Former Chief Justice of the Family Court, Alastair Nicholson QC to call for “sufficient courage” and “leadership” to end discrimination against same sex relationships under federal law.
The report conducted by Australia's oldest lesbian and gay legal advocacy group, the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, found discrimination over financial and legal entitlements involving superannuation, taxation and health care topped the concerns of gay and lesbian couples. As important as the financial entitlements was being able to marry or form a civil union as a way of symbolically and legally recognising their relationship, the report into recognition of same-sex relationships under federal law found.The Former Chief Justice said “ This report confirms my long held belief that all that the members of the gay and lesbian community want is to be treated equally, with the same legal rights to enter marriage and other relationships as any other Australian. It is a shameful indictment of the leadership of this country that institutionalised discrimination continues against them.”He added “It is to be hoped that we will eventually have leaders with sufficient courage to ensure that there is no discrimination against any Australian on the basis of gender or sexual preference. This report is a call for such leadership."In 2006 the Lobby surveyed more than 1300 people as well as touring the state to conduct 10 face-to-face consultations in the Blue Mountains, Bathurst, Parramatta, Lismore, Wollongong, Petersham, Newcastle, Surry Hills, Newtown and Kingsford.The report, which is to be given to every member of Federal Parliament, found that 51 per cent of gay and lesbian respondents said the main reason they wanted equal recognition of their relationship was to access legal and financial entitlements open to heterosexual couples, while 46 per cent most wanted equality, including the right to marry so that their relationship was recognised in the same way as a heterosexual relationship. Asked how they would want their relationship to be recognised under federal law, 42% chose marriage while 33% would want to have a civil union and 17% be recognised as de factos. The report is to be launched today by the Former Chief Justice, with the Human Rights Commissioner, Graeme Innes AM also speaking. The Commissioner congratulated the Lobby on the launch of the report, stating that “recognition of same-sex relationships is an enormously important issue for the gay and lesbian community”.The NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby will be campaigning in the lead up to this year's Federal Election both on the issue of access to financial and non-financial entitlements in areas like superannuation, while at the same time pushing for the right of same-sex couples to access marriage and civil unions. "There is widespread support for coverage under de facto laws as well as access to civil unions and marriage in the gay and lesbian community. Same sex couples want more than just the financial and non-financial entitlements under federal law, they also want the right to have their relationship formally recognised via marriage or civil unions," said Lobby spokesman David Scamell.The report is to be launched by the Former Chief Justice at 12pm today at Slide, 41 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. Copies of the report are available at www.glrl.org.au
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