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ACON has urged the federal government to undertake a full audit of all internal rules and regulations that govern the public servants who will be administering the proposed reforms announced last week.
ACON CEO Stevie Clayton said that the audit will ensure such instruments do not allow any further practical discrimination against same-sex couples to continue.
Clayton also urged the government to conduct a public education campaign to inform same-sex couples about their new rights and responsibilities.
Clayton made the recommendations in a letter delivered last week to the Federal Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, in which she congratulated the government on the proposed changes. But she outlined a number of steps the government should undertake to ensure legal discrimination against same-sex couples is removed.
“ACON recognises that the proposed changes will not bring about full equality. However, removing the practical discrimination that same-sex couples face is an important step in the process of gradual legal and social change that will inevitably lead to all legal discrimination against same-sex couples being removed. While the reforms that you have announced will have a significant impact in addressing the discrimination that GLBT Australians have long-faced, there are a number of other steps that need to be taken to ensure that.”
Clayton said the government should also implement a separate federal act that will prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexuality.
“The reality is that despite these reforms, there will still be some instances where people are subject to discrimination because of their sexuality, and it is important that they have legal recourse in the same way that Australians who have been discriminated against on the basis of sex, race, age and disability currently do.”
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