quote:

---

The federal government's exclusion of gays and transgender people from a $4000 payment to help workers who believe they have been unlawfully sacked was discriminatory and vindictive, a lobby group said today. Prime Minister John Howard yesterday announced the Government would provide eligible employees with up to $4000 to help pay for independent legal advice to determine if their unlawful dismissal case had merit. The payment was criticised by Labor and unions as a stunt as the Government prepared to exclude workers in smaller businesses from laws protecting them from unfair dismissal.

Australian Coalition for Equality spokesman Rod Swift said the government was pandering to anti-gay MPs and church groups by failing to include sexuality or gender identity in its list of grounds on which a sacked employee can claim a $4000 government contribution to their legal costs.

"The government is deliberately and vindictively rolling-back the basic rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers," Mr Swift said.

"Under existing unfair dismissal laws which the new system is designed to replace, employees have at least some protection from workplace bias on the grounds of sexuality.

"Not only will the new industrial regime remove much of this protection, it won't even give gay employees the $4000 legal cost safety net John Howard is offering other workers."

Mr Swift said Mr Howard's stated opposition to anti-gay discrimination and his support for same-sex couple superannuation rights had come to nothing.

"This is clearly a case where sexual minorities are being punished to win some cheap points with anti-gay MPs, churches and activist groups," he said.

---