Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, obviously there are discretions of the trustees in the context of superannuation laws which are retained, whether in relation to opposite-sex or same-sex couples. But I think all of us understand the political game that is being played here. I want to be very clear. This government went to the election with a very clear election commitment to give same-sex couples the same rights as de facto heterosexual couples. That is the intention of this legislation. It is the first time in history the Commonwealth government has been prepared to do so. We are amending 68 pieces of legislation under the general law reform bill, and a range of other acts under this bill, in order to provide same-sex couples with the same rights—equal rights—as those which are provided for heterosexual de facto couples.