Abstract

PIAC’s submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs welcomes many of the amendments contained in the Sex and Age Discrimination Legislation Amendment Bill 2010.  These include making breastfeeding a separate ground of discrimination, extending the protection of discrimination on the ground of family responsibilities, improvements to the definition of sexual harassment and creating a Age Discrimination Commissioner.  However, PIAC submits that the proposed Bill could go further and implement other key recommendations of the 2008 Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs from its Inquiry into the effectiveness of the Sex Discrimination Act in eliminating discrimination and promoting gender equality.  PIAC submits the Bill should extend the protection from discrimination on the ground of marital status to same-sex couples, extend protection from discrimination on the ground of family responsibilities to other areas, and remove exemptions for voluntary bodies.