Birth certificates
Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (12:38): My question is for the Attorney-General, and it relates to birth certificates. Currently in Victoria we do not allow a person who does not fit a very narrow and conventional relationship description to be listed on a child’s birth certificate.
They have to be a spouse or they have to be living together on a domestic basis. For example, a constituent of mine wants to donate sperm and actively co-parent but they are not in a traditional relationship.
We discussed this in this chamber last year and I understand the department was doing some work on it, but we still seem to be hitting a brick wall with the Attorney-General’s department on this.
I am just wondering if you can offer me any information about the progress of any amendments to the Status of Children Act 1974 in this regard.
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:38): I thank Ms Patten for her question. Something I am really interested in is exploring more reforms for certificates.
Dr Cumming has raised similar issues as well. At the moment I have got a range of views, a range of different changes that people want, and I need the opportunity to bring them together. The work is ongoing, and I do not have any specific announcements in relation to that, except to confirm that I have a personal commitment to this. I know that the justice working group—the one that Harriet co-chairs—have been lobbying me on similar types of reforms as well.
I have got to say there are a range of advocacy groups that are talking to me about births, deaths and marriages, the provision of certificates and the information that is on them. As you would have heard from Mr Davis’s questions, my priority is on making sure that the services that BDM provides now are up to scratch.
We have had COVID impacts, so there are some operational issues that I want to bed down, but I am interested in some changes that bring about greater inclusion and equality for all Victorians and recognise the diversity of our families.
Ms PATTEN: Thank you, Minister. When it is about parenting and it is about birth certificates, there is an essence of time in that and people really are hoping to sort it out.
I note that the only way my constituent can get remedy on this is via court order, and that is generally done through the Children’s Court. It is a fairly protracted process, so by way of supplementary: is there a way that your department might be able to look at ways to expedite or streamline even that court process for people seeking this type of remedy or seeking to be added to a birth certificate in the lead-up to amendments to the act?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:41): I cannot give a firm commitment on the order of priorities. As I said, there is a lot in that space and I want to make sure that we give due consideration to all of the ideas that are going around, because I have got to say most of them are really good.
The department is looking at all of them, and I will seek an update following today’s questioning and see if I can give you any more information, but I do not have anything to hand apart from a keen interest and the fact that the department is certainly looking at these issues