Telstra policy on same-sex marriages / registries
This letter, from the TGLRG, Australian Coalition for Equality and Australian Marriage Equality, was delivered on 18.9.07.
Sol Trujillo
Chief Executive Officer
Telstra
Cc: Andrew Maiden
News Services Director
re: equal entitlements for same-sex couples
Dear Mr Trujillo,
We welcome Testra's commitment to equal relationship entitlements for partners in de facto same-sex relationships (reported in The Sydney Star Observer, 13.8.07). We also applaud what we understand to be your personal commitment to this important initiative.
We are writing now to determine whether Telstra's new policy also provides relationship entitlements to same-sex partners in formalised unions. If it does not, we urge Telstra to follow the lead of QANTAS (see below) and provide entitlements to these partners.
The formalised unions we wish to see recognised include,
1. marriage (same-sex marriages can be legally solemnised in several countries, including Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and South Africa)
2. civil unions or partnerships (same-sex couples can enter into marriage-like civil unions in a number of countries including the United Kingdom and New Zealand), and
3. registered relationships (same-sex couples are currently able to register their relationships in Tasmania, and a similar registry is soon to be established in Victoria).
We believe it is important that Telstra give these formal, legally recognised relationships equal recognition for several reasons.
Same-sex partners returning or moving to Australia from overseas and taking up employment with Telstra, may be in an overseas marriage or civil union. It is deeply disrespectful to these couples, to the choice they have made to formalise their union, and to their legal status, not to recognise their legal union. It is also disrespectful to effectively say to them that they must requalify for spousal entitlements by fulfilling the criteria commonly set down for de facto relationships.
These criteria can be onerous and restrictive. Couples moving to Australia may not qualify as de facto partners until they have lived in this country for a certain period. They also may not qualify if one partner continues to live overseas or is itinerant within Australia. It is unfair that partners whose interpersonal commitment has extended to formalising their relationship could be left without spousal entitlements because Telstra does not recognise there legal union.
The same points apply to same-sex couples who have registered their relationship with an Australian Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages: their choice to formalise their partnership should be respected, while some may not qualify as de facto couples. Added to this is the fact that registration (unlike overseas marriages or civil unions) allows partners to obtain rights under Australian state law, and increasingly under federal law. It would be anomalous for private companies to enfranchise one type of relationship recognised under Australian law, but ignore another.
While the numbers of same-sex partners currently in formalised unions may be smaller than the number of partners in de facto unions, their number is set to grow dramatically over the next few years. This is because of the numbers of partners moving or returning to Australia from jurisdictions with high migration rates to and from Australia, like the UK and New Zealand. It is also because relationship registries are likely to be established in the mainland states. We urge Telstra to prepare for this by ensuring that its progressive relationships policies are as inclusive as possible.
In this regard, we note that another icon Australian company, QANTAS, has already changed its relationship policy to recognise overseas same-sex marriages (reported in The Australian, May 31st, 2006). It would benefit both Telstra's public image and its staff morale if it was to match QANTAS's respect for social diversity, and exceed it with recognition of the other formalised relationships we have cited.
Thank you for your time and we look forward to your response.
Yours Sincerely,
Sharon Dane, Rod Swift & Rodney Croome.
Sharon Dane
Co-convenor
Australian Marriage Equality
www.australianmarriageequality.com
0403 895 268
Rod Swift
Spokesperson
Australian Coalition for Equality
www.coalitionforequality.org.au
0417 890 111
Rodney Croome
Campaign Coordinator
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group
www.tglrg.org
0409 010 668