CANADA : Same-Sex Partners Entitled to Benefits

Canada’s human rights tribunal ruled that the federal government must extend health benefits to same-sex partners of government employees. The tribunal’s decision was based on complaints by two federal employees who alleged that they were discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation when their applications for benefits for their same-sex partners were denied. “This decision only applies to federal public servants. But if a similar case would go to a tribunal involving an airline or a railroad, which are federally regulated companies, we’d hope it would be the same kind of decision,” said Canadian Human Rights Commission spokeswoman Donna Balkan.