The Australian gay community will have a few reasons to be happy about from now on. Wednesday, the Australian government announced that about one hundred laws will be changed in favor of the same-sex couples. However, marriages for gay and lesbians were still not accepted. Attorney General Robert McClelland said that the changes come for the gay couples in long-term relationships.

The laws will stand for gay couples who will be treated just like the married couples on issue such as taxation, pensions and welfare payments. But, why don’t they accept gay marriages? "The government believes that marriage is between a man and a woman," McClelland said. However, the gay rights advocates believe that accepting the marriage of the same-sex couples is a key test of authorities' willingness to end discrimination.

The laws will be introduced to Parliament starting next month and the process is due to be completed by mid-2009. Some examples of the laws include that children being reared by gay couples would be considered dependent of both adults for tax and unemployment benefits, and same-sex couples would be treated as a family unit for pension purposes.

Still, the gay and lesbian groups are not fully satisfied with the decision. They put the stress on the marriage issue saying that they will not be true equality in Australia until people are allowed the right to marry their partner of choice. The government on the other hand continues to support its idea of marriage between a man and a woman and refuses to take any measures for gay marriages.