Kerry Nettle (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

In the same way that the Greens supported the previous opposition amendments, we will be supporting these Democrat amendments.

Questionnegatived.

by leave—I move Greens amendments (1) to (5) on sheet 5335:

(1)    Schedule 1, item 1, page 3 (after line 6), before the definition of salary, insert:

child of a de facto relationship means:

             (a)    a child born of a de facto relationship; or

             (b)    a child adopted by the persons engaged in that relationship during the period of the relationship.

de facto relationship means a relationship between two people living together as a couple on a genuine domestic basis.

(2)    Schedule 1, page 3 (after line 15), after item 1, insert:

1A  Section 4AC

After “marital relationship” (wherever occurring), insert “or de facto relationship”.

(3)    Schedule 1, page 6 (after line 26), after item 10, insert:

10A  Subsection 10(2)

After “marital relationship” (wherever occurring), insert “or de facto relationship”.

(4)    Schedule 1, page 7 (after line 5), after item 11, insert:

11A  Subsection 11(3)

After “marital relationship” (wherever occurring), insert “or de facto relationship”.

(5)    Schedule 1, page 7 (after line 19), after item 12, insert:

12A  Subsection 12(3)

After “marital relationship” (wherever occurring), insert “or de facto relationship”.

These amendments go to the same issue as the previous two sets of amendments—that is, the removal of the discrimination that exists within this legislation. The Australian Greens amendments do it comprehensively. I feel that there is not much more we can say on this. We do not support discrimination and these amendments seek to remove that discrimination, right across the board. This is an opportunity to move such amendments. Senator Murray has talked about the other opportunities we have had this week to remove discrimination from law and the Greens have been supportive of those attempts to remove the discrimination. We do not believe in discrimination, so we seek to remove it from the law and that is what these amendments do.