Govt blocks same sex entitlements inquiry
Saturday August 18, 2007

Govt blocks same sex entitlements inquiry

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Findlaw.com.au reports that Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett has slammed the federal government for using its Senate majority to block a Senate Committee from examining legislation seeking to implement the recently completed Human Rights Commission report into discrimination against same-sex couples.

The Democrats had introduced legislation into the Senate put into law the recommendations from the Human Rights Commission’s report, Same Sex: Same Entitlements . The party sought to have a Senate Inquiry “to assess whether or not [the] Bill adequately reflects and implements those recommendations, before moving to have it passed by the Parliament prior to the election.”

“The federal government repeatedly says it supports removing discrimination against same-sex couples, yet it repeatedly blocks every single effort by the Democrats to implement this basic principle in law,” Mr Bartlett said.

Stephen Page, Harrington Family Lawyers, Brisbane spage@harringtonfamilylawyers.com 61(7) 3221 9544

Request an Appointment
Fill in the form below to find out if you have a claim.
Request an Appointment - Stephen Page
Things to Read, Watch & Listen
De Facto Relationship: What Counts Under Family Law?

De facto relationship: what counts under family law?

Sharing a home does not automatically make two people a de facto couple. Equally, living apart does not necessarily mean that a de facto relationship cannot exist. Under Australian family law, the question involves more than an address. The central issue is whether the couple’s relationship amounts to living together on a genuine domestic basis.… Read More »De facto relationship: what counts under family law?

Paid Egg Donation in Australia: What Can Be Reimbursed

Paid egg donation in Australia: is it legal?

Can someone be paid to donate eggs in Australia? The short answer is no. Human eggs cannot lawfully be treated as something to buy or sell. Australia permits altruistic egg donation, not commercial egg donation. But that is not the end of the story. A donor may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses associated with the… Read More »Paid egg donation in Australia: is it legal?

Egg Freezing in Prison: The High Court’s Decision in Smith

Egg Freezing in Prison: The High Court’s Decision in Smith

Does a prison sentence also mean losing the opportunity to become a parent after release? That question sits at the heart of Smith v Chief Executive, Queensland Corrective Services, a powerful High Court decision about egg freezing, fertility preservation and the limits of punishment. The High Court unanimously found that egg freezing did not fall… Read More »Egg Freezing in Prison: The High Court’s Decision in Smith

Family Law Section Law Council of Australia Award
Member of Queensland law society
Family law Practitioners Association
International Academy of Family Lawyers - IAFL
Mediator Standards Board