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.