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This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.


COMMONWEALTH POWERS (DE FACTO RELATIONSHIPS) BILL 2003




                    New South Wales




Commonwealth Powers (De Facto
Relationships) Bill 2003


Contents

                                                        Page
       1   Name of Act and purpose                         2
       2   Commencement                                    2
       3   Definitions                                     2
       4   References                                      3
       5   Termination of references                       3
I certify that this PUBLIC BILL, which originated in the LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY,
has finally passed the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL and the LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY of
NEW SOUTH WALES.


                                               Clerk of the Legislative Assembly.
                                               Legislative Assembly,
                                               Sydney,                     , 2003




                            New South Wales




Commonwealth Powers (De Facto
Relationships) Bill 2003

Act No       , 2003




An Act to refer certain financial matters arising out of the breakdown of de facto
relationships to the Parliament of the Commonwealth for the purposes of section
51 (xxxvii) of the Constitution of the Commonwealth.




I have examined this Bill, and find it to correspond in all respects with the Bill
as finally passed by both Houses.


                          Chairman of Committees of the Legislative Assembly.
Clause 1          Commonwealth Powers (De Facto Relationships) Bill 2003




The Legislature of New South Wales enacts:
 1    Name of Act and purpose
         (1)   This Act is the Commonwealth Powers (De Facto Relationships)
               Act 2003.
         (2)   The purpose of this Act is to refer certain financial matters arising
               out of the breakdown of de facto relationships to the Parliament of
               the Commonwealth for the purposes of section 51 (xxxvii) of the
               Constitution of the Commonwealth.
 2    Commencement
               This Act commences on a day to be appointed by proclamation
               published in the Gazette.
 3    Definitions
         (1)   In this Act:
               de facto partner means a person who lives or has lived in a de facto
               relationship.
               de facto relationship means a marriage-like relationship (other than
               a legal marriage) between two persons.
               financial matters, in relation to de facto partners, means any or all
               of the following matters:
               (a) the maintenance of de facto partners,
               (b) the distribution of the property of de facto partners,
               (c) the distribution of any other financial resources of de facto
                      partners, including prospective superannuation entitlements
                      or other valuable benefits of or relating to de facto partners.
               property means any legal or equitable estate or interest (whether
               present or future and whether vested or contingent) in real or
               personal property of any description and wherever situated,
               including money or choses in action.
         (2)   For the purposes of this Act, a de facto relationship exists even if a
               de facto partner is legally married to someone else or is in another
               de facto relationship.




Page 2
Commonwealth Powers (De Facto Relationships) Bill 2003                 Clause 4




      (3)    A reference in this Act:
             (a) to the property or other financial resources of de facto partners
                   includes a reference to the property or other financial
                   resources of either or both of them, and
             (b) to the distribution of any such property or resources includes
                   a reference to the conferral of rights or obligations in relation
                   to the property or resources.
      (4)    This Act extends to de facto relationships that ended before the
             commencement of this Act.
 4    References
      (1)    The following matters, to the extent to which they are not otherwise
             included in the legislative powers of the Parliament of the
             Commonwealth, are referred to the Parliament of the
             Commonwealth for a period commencing on the day on which this
             Act commences and ending on the day fixed, pursuant to section 5,
             as the day on which the references under this Act are to terminate,
             but no longer:
             (a) financial matters relating to de facto partners arising out of the
                   breakdown (other than by reason of death) of de facto
                   relationships between persons of different sexes,
             (b) financial matters relating to de facto partners arising out of the
                   breakdown (other than by reason of death) of de facto
                   relationships between persons of the same sex.
      (2)    The operation of each paragraph of subsection (1) is not affected by
             the other paragraph.
 5    Termination of references
      (1)    The Governor may, at any time, by proclamation published in the
             Gazette, fix a day as the day on which the references under this Act
             are to terminate.
      (2)    The day fixed under subsection (1) must be no earlier than the first
             day after the end of the period of 3 months beginning with the day
             on which the proclamation is published under that subsection.
      (3)    The Governor may, by proclamation published in the Gazette,
             revoke a proclamation published under subsection (1), in which case
             the revoked proclamation is taken (for the purposes of section 4)
             never to have been published.



                                                                            Page 3
Clause 5          Commonwealth Powers (De Facto Relationships) Bill 2003




         (4)   A revoking proclamation has effect only if published before the day
               fixed under subsection (1).
         (5)   The revocation of a proclamation published under subsection (1)
               does not prevent publication of a further proclamation under that
               subsection.




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