Same-Sex Discrimination and Commonwealth superannuation schemes
Australian Regulatory Compliance Review:
Attorney-General
Robert McClelland has introduced the
Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws –
Superannuation) Bill 2008 to remove same-sex
discrimination from Acts governing Commonwealth superannuation schemes.
The Bill makes amendments so that same-sex couples are
no longer denied the payment of death benefits from superannuation
schemes or the tax concessions on death benefits currently made
available to opposite-sex couples.
The superannuation schemes covered by the reforms are:
- the Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme
- the scheme under the Superannuation Act 1922
- the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Scheme
- the Defence Forces Retirement Benefits Scheme
- the Judges’ Pensions Scheme
- the Federal Magistrates Disability and Death Benefits Scheme
- the Governor-General Pension Scheme, and
- the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Scheme.
Other
Commonwealth superannuation schemes, such as the Military
Superannuation and Benefits Scheme and the Public Sector Superannuation
Scheme, will be amended by delegated legislation.