Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Murray. You will not be surprised to know that I always think that there is an arguable defence. The government takes the view that your amendment about the defining spouse is not necessary because the law already defines who is a spouse. Whether that includes same-sex partners is a matter of interpretation of existing law. We think that that is basically covered and we do not see the need for, nor do we agree with having just for this particular measure, a different meaning for spouse from its definition that is contained elsewhere and that has been given in the law. That is a roundabout way of saying that we do not support the amendment because we do not think that there is quite the oversight or the problem that Senator Murray alludes to. It is for those reasons that we will not be supporting the amendment.