John Howard is considering legal changes to give same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexuals in areas such as welfare, superannuation and tax.
About time.
Under current laws, married or de facto heterosexual couples without children qualify for the 80% rebate under the Medicare safety net after reaching $716 in out-of-pocket expenses between them. But same-sex partners are not considered a couple, which means their expenses have to be double before they qualify for the safety net. Discrimination in migration law, social security and tax could also form part of the reform plan, including the superannuation contribution rebate.
But news of the plan is expected to trigger a backlash among conservative members of the Coalition.
No, news of the plan is expected to trigger a backlash among homophobic bigots.
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