the government of australia claims that a surrogate from new zealand is financially responsible for child support of the child that she had for a same-sex male australian couple living in queensland.
in new zealand and parts of australia, gay male couples are unable to adopt and the surrogate's name remains on the child's birth certificate.
in the instant case, the child's biological father and partner became legal guardians (not an adoption) and gained child support benefits from the australian government enabling the biological father to stay home and care for the child as parents in australia are entitled to do. the rub is that the austalian authorities than asked the surrogate to contribute. she obviously refused.
this will cause a chilling effect as gay couples are unable to adopt in new zealand and most of australia and choose surrogacy as their only legal means of starting a family.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/01/24/1232471656508.html