Wonderful news the presumption of parentage bill has been made law from 10am 15/12/11. This was a welcome surprise as the bill was not scheduled to be law until 23/6/12.
So what does this mean? This means if you have a child by assisted reproductive technology (ART) and meet the criteria bellow:
- the child was born in SA
- the child is under 18
- you were a couple for more than 3 years before the child was conceived
- the non biological mother consented to the procedure
If you meet these criteria you can register the change to the birth certificate at births deaths and marriages.
An information sheet about the process can be for downloaded here and information on registering new births here.
If you do not meet the criteria then you can engage a lawyer and go to the Magistraites court to see if you can be granted an order from the court which will direct births deaths and marriages to record you both on the birth certificate. This is not an automatic procedure and will be dependent on individual circumstances.
The Government has responded to the recommendations of the Social Development Committee. The Government has not supported the committees recommendations and has not shown support for removing discrimination for
same sex families.
LGE is very disappointed at the Governments responses as it does not enable same sex families to receive equal rights.
You can read the full Governments responses here
LGE is pleased to support the private members bill by Ian Hunter which will enable access to Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART) without the requirement for medical infertility. The bill is entitled Assisted Reproductive Treatment (Assistance for Lesbians and Single Women) Amendment Bill and we hope for a speedy successful passage of the bill to remove this hurdle for women seeking ART.
The Assisted Reproductive Treatment (Assistance for Lesbians and Single Women) Amendment Bill 2011 is based on recommendations made by the Social Development Committee’s 2011 report into same sex parenting.
The Committee recommended that current legislation governing assisted reproductive treatment be amended to incorporate a broadening of the criteria used to define infertility, consistent with provisions contained in
Victorian legislation.
The Committee heard that some lesbian couples who have been denied access to assisted reproductive treatment in South Australia have travelled to other jurisdictions where laws are far less restrictive,
often incurring unnecessary expense and stress.
The Committee also heard that limited access to assisted reproductive treatment in South Australia may mean that some women will choose to self-inseminate outside of regulated clinical settings.
The Committee notes that this may place a woman and her child at risk of disease because the donor is not thoroughly screened for genetic diseases or sexually transmitted infections. Furthermore,
the use of self-insemination in private arrangements may mean that a child born through such arrangements will be denied information about the full circumstances of their birth and genetic background.
LGE is thrilled to report that the Family Relationships (Parentage) Amendment Bill 2010 has passed today 9/6/11 by an overwhelming majority.
This will now enable both the biological mother and the non biological mother to both be on the childs birth certificate once the bill has been proclaimed.
LGE is very grateful to Tammy Franks and David Pisoni for putting forward this bill as well as the work other progressive parliamentarians have done such as Ian Hunter, Frances Bedford and Steph Key in helping it pass.
You can view an extract from Hansard of the bill passing here
News stories covering the bill are Blaze and Gay News Network
The Social Development Committee has tabled its report in Parliament. The report contains wide-ranging reforms aimed at providing greater legal protection for children of same-sex parents.
You can download a copy of the report here
You can download an extract from Hansard of the speeches on 18/5/11 for the House of Assembly here and the Legislative Council here
State Parliament’s Social Development Committee—an eight-member Committee chaired by the Hon. Ian Hunter MLC—completed its year-long inquiry into same-sex parenting after receiving close to 700 submissions.
In tabling the report, Mr Hunter commented:
The Committee heard repeatedly that South Australia lags behind every other Australian state when it comes to protecting the rights of children born to same-sex parents. Current South Australian law puts children born to same-sex parents in an unequal and unsatisfactory position when compared to children born to heterosexual parents. This is an unacceptable situation that must be changed.
At present, under South Australian law, if a married woman becomes pregnant through the use of assisted reproductive treatment with donor sperm, her husband is treated in law as the father of the child and his name is placed on the child’s birth certificate. There is no similar presumption of parentage for same-sex co-parents. The partner of a lesbian woman who has become pregnant through the use of donor sperm is not recognised in law as a parent even though she may be in a committed long-term relationship with her partner and has expressed a clear intention to co-parent the child.
The Committee’s report highlights some of the problems experienced by same-sex co-parents because of their lack of legal recognition. For example, same-sex co-parents may face difficulties enrolling their child at school. They may not be able to legally give permission for the child to be treated in a medical emergency. In the event of the death of the biological parent, the co-parent may struggle to retain custody of the child.
The report calls on the government to amend laws to recognise the female partner of the birth mother as the child’s parent.
According to Mr Hunter:
Such a change would bring South Australia in line with other Australian jurisdictions and remove the need for lesbian couples to give birth interstate in order to have the co-parent legally recognised and placed on the child's birth certificate.
He continued:
Legal recognition would also help resolve inconsistencies in federal and state legislation. At present, in the event of a relationship breakdown, a South Australian non-biological same-sex parent is liable to pay child support even though their status as a parent is not legally recognised at the state level.
The report also recommends that eligibility for adoption be extended to same-sex couples. On this, Mr Hunter said:
There is an inherent double standard in current South Australian legislation that, on the one hand, deems same-sex couples as suitable parents to foster children and on the other, denies them the right to adopt a child.
Other recommendations call on the State Government to:
- amend surrogacy laws to allow same-sex couples access to surrogacy, subject to proper assessment;
- amend assisted reproductive treatment laws to allow lesbians greater access to donor sperm; and
- improve the capacity for children conceived through the use of donor sperm in private arrangements to access information about their genetic heritage.
Same-sex parents are no different than other parents in wanting the very best for their children. Removing legislative inequality is a very significant step in lessening the discrimination and social exclusion experienced by these parents and their children. All children, irrespective of the family units into which they are born or live, deserve the full protection of the law.
The Government now will consider the recommendations and we hope they will be implemented soon.
The Family Relationships (Parentage) Amendment Bill 2010 is up for debate tomorrow 24/11/2010 in the Legislative Council. We don’t know what time it will be debated, it may be after midnight but please come along and see history and equality in the making!!!
This bill would enable both the birth mother and the non birth mother to both be on the birth certificate thus providing legal recognition for both parents.
Hope to see you there
Wonderful News - The Family Relationships (Parentage) Amendment Bill 2010 passed the upper house in the small hours of 25/11/10 14 votes to 5. This bill will now need to be debated in the lower house.
You can read the debate in the upper house on Hansard here
This bill would enable both the birth mother and the non birth mother to both be on the birth certificate thus providing legal recognition for both parents.
The Family Relationships (Parentage) Amendment Bill 2010 is up for debate tomorrow 24/11/2010 in the Legislative Council. We don’t know what time it will be debated, it may be after midnight but please come along and see history and equality in the making!!!
This bill would enable both the birth mother and the non birth mother to both be on the birth certificate thus providing legal recognition for both parents.
Hope to see you there
The Social Development Committee has commenced an inquiry into same sex parenting.
This is a great opportunity for people to send submissions to the inquiry explaining how the laws affect your family.
What difference would it make to your family if non biological parents were recognised?
What about if you could access Artificial Reproductive Technologies or surrogacy in South Australia?
So what can you do?
- Spread the news that the inquiry is taking submissions
- Send in a submission. Click here to send a submission
Terms of Reference
Social Development Committee
South Australian Parliament
Same-Sex Parenting
Terms of reference referred to the Committee on its own motion on 24 May 2010 that ~
The Social Development Committee inquire into and report same sex-parenting with particular
reference to.
a. The number of same sex couples and same-sex attracted individuals living in South Australia who are parents or aspire to parenthood:
b. The experiences of same-sex parents and their children and the social challenges faced by them:
c. The legal status of children born to same-sex parents and issues relating to the legal recognition of non-biological parents:
d. The current laws that govern eligibility for adoption, assisted reproductive technology (including in-vitro fertilisation), surrogacy and foster caring in South Australia and their impact on same-sex couples:
e. The relationship between State and Federal legislation in recognising same-sex parents and their children:
f. The experience and regulation of interstate and overseas jurisdictions in addressing issues relating to same-sex parents and their children:
g. The possible measures that could be introduced to better deal with matters pertaining to same-sex parents and what, if any, legal complexities might arise from the consideration of such changes: and
h. Any other related matters.
Any person or organisation can forward a written submission to the Secretary either by post or email by the closing date of Friday 17 July 2010. Requests to provide an oral submission should be directed to the Secretary in the first instance and should also be received by Friday 17 July 2010. Further information about the Committee and making a submission can be obtained at http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/Committees/Pages/Committees.aspx?CTId=5&CId=182
Further Information:
Robyn Schutte
Secretary, Social Development Committee
Parliament House
North Tce
Adelaide 5000
Ph: 08 8237 9416 Email:sdc@parliament.sa.gov.au
Fax: 08 8231 9630
In the lead up to the State Election LGE asked parties about their policies.
Click here to read all the responses
A new survey entitled "Diversity and Older People's Care Networks" is being conducted by The University of Queensland. Click here for further details.
- Pride March is Saturday 14/11/09
- Assembly is from 5:30pm
- We are in the Orange assembly area. (see attachment for map)
- Please wear your LGE t-shirt if you have one otherwise black or orange coloured clothes are great
Download the assembly map
Come along and enjoy the march.
Hope to see you there
Ms Redmond indicated that she has taken the action of introducing a Private Members Bill as the Government has not taken action on the matter and so that South Australia can be covered by federal legislation in the same way as all the other states and territories.
She has also suggested that to get this legislation passed sooner, rather than later, members contract their local Member of Parliament to urge support for the Bill.
In short, these options potentially endanger the health of mother and child, as well as putting enormous financial and emotional pressures on the family. The situation has also led to South Australian couples moving interstate so they can have their families without having to travel every month to access services that are readily available elsewhere in Australia. This adds to the drain of young people leaving S.A. It should also be noted that South Australia is the last state to pass legislation such as this which is particularly unfortunate and embarrassing given that we did lead the country in gay law reform in the 1970’s. Once again, South Australia has not managed to keep pace with the other states and we are fast gaining a national reputation for being the backward "discrimination state".
So what can you do????
Please email members of the legislative council and ask them to support this amendment.
Here are the addresses to send to relevant members of the legislative council just put this into the To box
parnell@parliament.sa.gov.au;david.winderlich@parliament.sa.gov.au; Ann.Bressington@parliament.sa.gov.au; Michelle.Lensink@parliament.sa.gov.au; minister.gago@saugov.sa.gov.au; Stephen.Wade@parliament.sa.gov.au; ministerholloway@saugov.sa.gov.au; john.darley@parliament.sa.gov.au; john.dawkins@parliament.sa.gov.au; John.Gazzola@parliament.sa.gov.au; robert.lawson@parliament.sa.gov.au; david.ridgway@parliament.sa.gov.au; caroline.schaefer@parliament.sa.gov.au; Bob.Sneath@parliament.sa.gov.au; terry.stephens@parliament.sa.gov.au; Russell.Wortley@parliament.sa.gov.au; carmel.zollo@parliament.sa.gov.au;
Sample email – please add your personal story to it or how this legislation will help you.
Dear Member,
I am writing to you to request your support for the upcoming bill 74, Reproductive Technology (Clinical Practices) (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2008. I am seeking your support for the Amendment No 1 [Hunter–1]. This amendment would benefit many families in South Australia by making it easier for them to access safe medical practices which will enable them to have the family they desire. Under the current law these families are having to either travel interstate every month for treatment or alternatively undergo risky procedures at home with donor sperm that has not been medically screened to rule out infectious disease or genetic disorders. Such DIY procedures may also lead to future custody cases if a private agreement between a donor and recipient family breakdown. In short, these options potentially endanger the health of mother and child, as well as putting enormous financial and emotional pressures on the family.
The situation has also led to South Australian couples moving interstate so they can have their families without having to travel every month to access services that are readily available elsewhere in Australia. This adds to the drain of young people leaving S.A. It should also be noted that South Australia is the last state to pass legislation such as this which is particularly unfortunate and embarrassing given that we did lead the country in gay law reform in the 1970’s. Once again, South Australia has not managed to keep pace with the other states and we are fast gaining a national reputation for being the backward "discrimination state".
ADD PERSONAL STORY HERE
Kind Regards
NAME
ADDRESS
GetUp has launched a campaign for equality in law, please see below for details:
We've done the research and it's a landslide. A GetUp-commissioned Galaxy poll last weekend reveals a whopping 71 per cent of Australians, including 63 per cent of Coalition voters, believe same sex couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples in de facto relationships.
These results should make all Australians proud. Yet on Friday, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission released its year-long inquiry into same sex discrimination which reveals that discrimination remains ingrained in 58 pieces of federal legislation. From superannuation and workers' compensation to Medicare, tax and pensions, Australians are treated like second-class citizens purely on the basis of their sexual orientation.
Right now our politicians are deciding how to respond to these damning findings. This is our urgent opportunity to tell them it's time to wipe this discrimination off the books forever by giving legal equality to same sex couples.
http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/EqualBeforetheLaw
Australians want their friends, family and colleagues in same sex relationships to have the same rights as other citizens. One piece of legislation, redefining de facto legal status, can start us firmly on the path towards greater equality.
Sometimes change can only happen when the people lead. And we will. GetUp's poll found majority support for equal rights extends across every demographic, across every region, across every political party in the nation. Tell the politicians it's time they caught up to the people that voted them in.
Put your name to the petition calling for equality now - and please share this campaign with all your friends. You can be sure that at least 70 per cent of them will thank you for it! You can also support this campaign by donating here.
http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/EqualBeforetheLaw
Thanks for being part of this,
The GetUp team
PS: By following the link to this campaign, you'll get a sneak peek at our new website! It's still under construction, and so all pages of the site may not be fully
functioning, but stay tuned for the new site's official launch next week!
Same-Sex: Same Entitlements Inquiry
We are delighted to tell you that the final report of the Same-Sex: Same Entitlements, National Inquiry into Discrimination against People in Same-Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits is now publicly available. The report was tabled in Federal Parliament on 21/6/2006.
You can now access the Same-Sex: Same Entitlements report and community guide at: www.humanrights.gov.au/samesex.
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) officially launched the final report of the Same-Sex: Same Entitlements Inquiry in Sydney on Friday, 22 June 2007.
HREOC will also be launching the report in all other states and territories, beginning in Canberra on Friday, 29 June 2007.
A full schedule of launch dates will be available shortly on the Inquiry website. In the mean time, please contact the Inquiry team for further details.
How do I contact the Inquiry team?
For all queries, please contact the Inquiry team at samesex@humanrights.gov.au or on (02) 9284 9600.
For more details about the Same-Sex: Same Entitlements Inquiry please see the Inquiry website: www.humanrights.gov.au/samesex.
The new legistlation which assists in recognising same sex couples comes into affect from 1st June 2007.
It has been a long time coming! Further information
is available here
Unfortunatley the fight for full equality still needs to continue as we are not 100% Equal.
Please contact Let's Get Equal if you can help.
Do you want equal rights for same sex couples and families?
Let’s Get Equal has made significant progress in the area of state law reform for over 6 years but we are still not equal.
We are having a community meeting on April 15 at 2:30pm at Darling House, 64 Fullarton Rd.
We need people to come along and be involved in the next phase of the campaign, our campaign can only succeed with community support.
To help all you need is a willingness to stand up for your rights and be involved. Let’s Get Equal needs new members who would like to join in the fight for our rights.
Come along and be involved
The Statues Amendment (Domestic Partners) Bill passed the Legislative Council with a massive majority at 4.38pm on Thursday 7 December 2006, exactly two weeks after it passed the House of Assembly. Of the members present, 16 voted for the bill, and only 3 against (the two members of Family First and a single Liberal, Terry Stephens). The Let's Get Equal Campaign would like to thank all those Members of the Legislative Council who voted for this legislation, and especially those who have consistently supported same-sex couples gaining equal rights. You know who you are - THANK YOU ALL!!
As the Bill passed through the Upper House with no amendments, it could then be expedited through the Lower House once again, which happened later in the afternoon. Consequently, all that remains is for the Governor to sign the legislation for it to become law.
This means it's time to celebrate!! We've finally gained some measure of equality in South Australia. Of course, there are still areas of law where we aren't equal - for example, with regard to adoption rights and reproductive rights. But it's a start.
Thanks to all who have supported our campaign in many ways over the years, in and out of the Parliament. Without your support, without the rallies, without the lobbying, without the efforts of a whole group of people, we would never have got this bill passed. We've come a long way; stay tuned for what we have to do next!!
The Statues Amendment (Domestic Partners) Bill passed the House of Assembly with a massive majority at 6.25pm on Thursday 23 November 2006. The Let's Get Equal Campaign would like to thank all those Members who voted for this legislation, and especially those in the House who have consistently supported same-sex couples gaining equal rights.
The Bill now moves to the Upper House when Parliament resumes on Tues 5 December. If we're lucky, the Bill may pass before the end of this year.
Come along and join us in the Legislative Council public gallery while the bill is being debated! If you're a member of the Let's Get Equal mailing list, we'll keep you updated via email of the passage of the bill. Or you can go to the Orders of the Day for the Legislative Council, which is updated every sitting day, to find out approximately when the Legislative Council will be doing what on that particular day.
Debate on the new Statutes Amendment (Domestic Partners) Bill 2006 began in the South Australian State Parliament on the evening of Wednesday 22 December 2006. Various members from both sides of parliament contributed their thoughts about the bill. Debate was adjourned at 10pm, and should recommence at 3pm on Thursday 23 December. With luck, the bill will pass the House of Assembly before 6pm; otherwise, debate on this bill will go on into next week in the House. Remember, anyone can drop in and sit in the public gallery at Parliament while they're debating the bill, so come along and join us!
The LGE Feast Festival 2006 Forum, "South Australia - the Discrimination State" was held at 6pm on Monday 20 November at Caos Café. Speakers Dr Barbara Baird (Finders University), the Hon. Michelle Lensink MLC (Liberal Party), Dr Clem Macintyre (University of Adelaide) and the Hon. Ian Hunter MLC (Labor Party) spoke on the topic of whether the Festival State should be renamed the Discrimination State, with the Forum chaired by Matthew Loader from the Let's Get Equal Campaign. Many issues were raised, and both the speakers' thoughts and general forum discussion were especially interesting in light of the introduction of the new Domestic Partners bill into State Parliament. Thanks to all the speakers and those who attended for an enjoyable and informative evening.
The big news is the introduction of the Statutes Amendment (Domestic Partners) Bill 2006 into State Parliament on 14 November 2006. This bill is the replacement for the Statutes Amendment (Relationships) Bill, which as we all know wasn't passed through Parliament before the last election.
The Domestic Partners bill introduces a category of 'domestic partners', for those who have been living together in certain types of genuine relationship, sexual or not, for at least three years (or at least three out of the previous four years). The category of 'de facto' is being abolished, with all couples being either spouses (officially married, under the definition used by the Commonwealth Government) or domestic partners. That is, there will be no distinction legally in the bills to which the amendment applies between an unmarried gay couple and an unmarried straight couple.
The bill does not affect adoption or reproductive rights. The laws will still be discriminatory in these areas if this bill is passed.
While the definition of domestic partners requires cohabitation for at least three years (or three out of the last four), there is a possibility for courts to decide on the basis of legal documents or in the interests of justice to override this requirement. This would seem to be an advance over the Statutes Amendment (Relationships) Bill.
For more details, you can have a look at Mr Atkinson's press release about the bill and its introduction, or go to the Parliamentary Bills and Motions website and do a Bills Word Search for 'domestic partners' to find the full version of the proposed legislation.
Now we just have to wait impatiently for the bill to work its way through Parliament, and try not to get too excited. It's great that it's been introduced; but we've been here before, so hold off on the celebrations!
On 26 October 2006, the Attorney General Mr Atkinson introduced the Equal Opportunity (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2006 into State Parliament to amend South Australia's Equal Opportunity Act. The amendments cover a range of areas, including replacing references to transexuality with references to 'chosen gender', restricting the areas in which religious schools can discriminate on the basis of sexuality, and making it illegal for charities, service clubs, sports clubs, cultural groups and political parties to discriminate on the basis of sexuality, although religious associations are excluded.
Pride March 2006 was held on 11th November, starting at 6.30pm. The theme of the march "Steppin' Out: Our time has come" was obviously appropriate for the Let's Get Equal Campaign, and we marched together with a parade of same sex couples as the lead entry (behind the bikes, of course).
South Australia's gay & lesbian lobby group The Let's Get Equal Campaign has distributed a leaflet throughout Australia warning same sex couples of the possible consequences of the fact that their relationships are not legally recognised while they are visiting South Australia.
LGE spokesperson Ian Purcell said, "While SA remains the only state not to protect same sex couples under the law, we believe we have a duty of care to inform interstate visitors of their legal situation while they are in SA."
"Gay and lesbian couples need to be aware that on crossing the border into SA they will be leaving their legal rights behind. Problems may arise because same sex partners are not recognised as next of kin."
"This means for example that if your partner is hospitalised, you can be denied access to them, or to any information about their medical condition."
"You can be denied the right to make vital decisions about your incapacitated partner's medical treatment, and if they die, you can be denied the right to make any decisions about their body."
"Nobody thinks that these things are going to happen to them while they are on holidays, but that is exactly why gay and lesbian visitors need to know the situation in SA, and to be prepared," Mr Purcell said.
"It would be wise to bring any documentation you have that confirms your relationship, next-of-kin status, or power of guardianship to make decisions on your partner's behalf."
The LGE Campaign leaflet has been distributed as an insert to the SA Government's Gay & Lesbian Visitors' Guide, a glossy 6-page A4 publication which claims that Adelaide has always been a 'progressive and hip city'.
"The Guide congratulates Don Dunstan for passing the first gay rights legislation in 1975, but fails to mention that SA is now the only state or territory which has not given equal rights to same sex couples. I don't call that progressive or hip. People deserve to know the truth about SA," Mr Purcell said.
The LGE 'Warning to Same Sex Couples Visiting SA' leaflet is available from gay & lesbian outlets, or a PDF version can be accessed by clicking here.
Following the South Australian ALP State Convention and the LGE protests there, the Attorney-General Mr Atkinson has announced that a bill to remove discrimination against same sex couples is on the way and he can "see that reform going into Parliament before Christmas". We have yet to see whether this bill is essentially identical to the amended Statutes Amendment (Relationships) Bill which passed through the Upper House late last year, or is a bill which has watered down equality rights to appease the Christian Right, as many members of the community fear.
And the war will be over by Christmas …
A large contingent of Let's Get Equal Campaign members protested outside the Adelaide Festival Centre as delegates arrived for the recent Labor Party State Convention on the 14th October 2006 (photo of protest).
The protest was a further step in LGE's criticism of the continued failure of the Rann Government to reintroduce the Statutes Amendment (Relationships) Bill. On the day of the protest there were only ten sitting days left this year when the Bill could be reintroduced.
Delegates were handed leaflets listing the broken promises and claiming that South Australia is now 'the wooden spoon state' when it comes to equal rights for gay and lesbian people. The Let's Get Equal Campaign presented a large wooden spoon to Frances Bedford (see photo), who accepted it on behalf of the Labor Party.
The protest gained a great deal of media attention, with reports on ABC Online and with the night-time news reports on the Convention on Seven, Nine and the ABC all leading with the protest. The media in general talked as though there were only two issues discussed the Convention - gay rights and uranium (with gay rights the leading issue).
What has been termed a "rainbow coalition", consisting of some Liberal members, the Democrats, Greens and an independent, introduced a private members bill into the South Australian Parliament on 27 September 2006. This bill is essentially the same as the Labor Government's amended Relationships Bill, which passed the Upper House last November, but then was not introduced into the Lower House before the last election, and which the Labor Party has not reintroduced into the Parliament despite the promises of its state President.
To view the section of Hansard (the official record of what goes on in Parliament) which relates to the introduction of this private members bill, click here and then search for "Statutes Amendment (Relationships) Bill" (it's quite a long page).
Discrimination against People in Same-Sex Relationships: Financial and Work-Related Entitlements and Benefits
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission is currently conducting a National Inquiry into discrimination against same-sex couples in accessing financial and work-related entitlements.
The audio from the Adelaide Hearing is now available on the Commission's website at http://www.humanrights.gov.au/samesex/AdelaideHearing20060828.html class="navi".
The Inquiry will conduct an audit of Commonwealth, State and Territory laws to develop a full list of circumstances in which same-sex couples and their children may be denied financial and/or work-related benefits and entitlements that heterosexual couples enjoy. The Inquiry will also collect individual stories about the impact of these laws on people in same-sex relationships.
The Inquiry convened a public forum in Adelaide to give community groups and individuals the opportunity to express their views and tell their stories.
At the end of the consultation process, the Inquiry will report its findings and make recommendations on changes needed to eliminate discrimination to the Federal Attorney-General who will table the report in Federal Parliament.
Further information, including copies of the terms of reference and the discussion paper, is available on the Commission's website.
LOWER HOUSE SUCCESSES:
RE-ELECTED:
- Frances Bedford (ALP) – in Florey – a marginal electorate in the bible belt suburbs. As LGE polling in Florey showed, for a majority of people, the Same Sex Relationships Bill was NOT an issue, in fact 79% of people agreed that same sex couples should have equal rights. All the vicious lies of the religious right, and the installing of a former Assemblies of God pastor as the Lib candidate had no effect on voters; in fact Frances Bedford was re-elected with a 10% swing.
- All Labor MPs were returned – and all are in favour of the Bill as party policy. Isobel Redmond (Heysen), Duncan McFettridge (Morphett), and Vicki Chapman (Bragg) – all Liberal MPS who support the Bill.
- Bob Such (Ind.) – in Fisher. Supporter of the Bill.
ELECTED:
- David Pisoni (Lib) – in Unley. Supports the Bill.
- Labor is set to win eight seats with all MPs in favour of the Bill as party policy.
DEFEATED:
- Joe Scalzi (Lib) – in Hartley. Actively opposed the Same Sex Relationships Bill.
- Angus Redford (Lib) – in Bright. Originally a supporter of the Bill, eventually voted against the Bill in the Upper House because he had been pre-selected for the lower house seat of Bright. Didn’t want to upset religious right. Lost overwhelmingly. A double victory because retiring Liberal MP Wayne Matthew opposed the Same Sex Relationships Bill as well.
- Robert Brokenshire (Lib) – in Mawson. An opposition shadow minister. Stirred up homophobia in parliament by attacking sperm donor website for lesbians.
FAMILY FIRST NOT AN INFLUENCE IN LOWER HOUSE RESULTS:
- In the Family First heartland of Hartley, Morialta, Newland and Florey, Family First primary vote did not increase from 2002 results.
- In all four of these electorates Family First preferences did not affect the outcome of the election.
- In Florey, Frances Bedford got 54% of primary votes compared to FF (7.2) + Libs (29.9) combined 37.1%.
- In Hartley, Grace Portolesi got 46% of the primary vote, which was more than Scalzi (Lib 39.1) + FF (4%) combined 43.1%.
- In Morialta, Lindsay Simmons got 48.4% of the primary vote, which was more than Joan Hall (Lib 35.1) + FF (5.5) combined 40.6%.
- In Newland, Tom Kenyon got 46.3% of the primary vote, which was more than Libs (34.4) + FF (7.0) combined 41.4%.
[figures from ABC SA State Election website as at 18 March 2006]
FAMILY FIRST HAD NO INFLUENCE IN ANY LOWER HOUSE SEAT - NEITHER IN ITS ATTEMPTS TO DEFEAT A CANDIDATE (eg FRANCES BEDFORD) NOR GET A CANDIDATE ELECTED (eg JOE SCALZI)
RESULT OF LOWER HOUSE ELECTION:
The Rann Labor Government has been re-elected emphatically with a majority of seats. This despite unfavourable Family First preferences and a dirty tricks campaign by the Religious Right in some seats. The Bill will pass the Lower House when it is re-introduced with the Premier indicating that it will not be a conscience vote for Labor.
UPPER HOUSE SUCCESSES:
ELECTED:
- Ian Hunter (ALP) – an openly gay man, was elected along with three other Labor members.
- Nick Xenophon (Ind) – supported the Bill. Another No Pokies Independent also appears to be elected, however her views on the Bill are at this stage unknown.
- Michelle Lensink (Lib) – supported the Bill.
- Mark Parnell (Green) – the Greens, who have endorsed the Let’s Get Equal Campaign’s election policy, seem set to win a spot over the Democrats in the Upper House.
DEFEATED:
- Peter Lewis (Ind) – opposed the Bill in the lower house.
UPPER HOUSE LOSSES:
- Kate Reynolds (Dem) – longtime supporter of our communities and indefatigable in her support for the Bill, has lost her seat.
- Dennis Hood (FF) – Family First has won a second place in the Upper House; however because of the strong vote for Nick Xenophon they will not hold the balance of power and will not be able to block the Bill.
RESULT OF UPPER HOUSE ELECTION:
The new Upper House has 8 Labor MPs, 8 Liberals, 2 Family First MPs, 2 No Pokies Independents, 1 Green and 1 Democrat. With three Liberals in favour of the Bill, the support of Nick Xenophon, the Greens and the Democrats the Bill should still comfortably pass the Upper House with 14 votes (as happened last year).
Before the March 2006 state election, LGE received a letter from Nick Champion, the President of the SA Branch of the ALP. This letter promised that a Labor Government would reintroduce their Bill to remove discrimination against same sex couples in the next session of Parliament. To view a PDF copy of the full letter, click here.
Lets Get Equal t-shirts are now available from TShirt City with proceeds helping the Lets Get Equal Campaign. So buy a shirt and show your support!
In the mean time, send a letter to Parliament with your feelings on the bill not being passed.
Thank you all for your continuing support.
Cheers
LGE Committee
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How Does The Law Discriminate?
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