Update: the Bill passed in the House of Assembly on Wednesday 17 June 2026!
A new Bill has been introduced to SA Parliament to allow LGBTIQA+ parents to more accurately describe their relationship to their child, replacing the mandatory “co-parent” descriptor with the choice of “mother”, “father” or “parent”.
The Bill was introduced by Robert Simms MLC on behalf of the Greens and passed the Legislative Council on 20 May 2026 with support from the Labor government.
What would this mean for rainbow families?
If passed, this Bill will mean that:
- LGBTIQA+ people who are legally recognised as a co-parent of a child born in South Australia will be able to choose the descriptor used for them on their child’s birth certificate.
- This amendment applies to both new and existing birth certificates. If your family has been waiting for this change and your child was born in South Australia, you’ll be able to apply to Births, Deaths and Marriages to have your child’s existing birth certificate reissued.
- Updating an existing birth certificate will automatically ensure that any future marriage or death certificates for that parent remain consistent.
- It will take some time for these changes to take effect. SARAA will work closely with the Attorney-General and Births, Deaths and Marriages to ensure the rollout is smooth and accessible for rainbow families.
How they voted
Voted FOR rainbow families on birth certificates
| Bourke, E.S. | El Dannawi, M. | Gumbys, H.J. |
| Hanson, J.E. | Hunter, I.K. | Maher, K.J. |
| Ngo, T.T. | Scriven, C.M. | Selwood, M. |
| Simms, R.A. (teller) | Wortley, R.P. |
| Agness, J.P. | Andrews, S.E. | Ben, L.R |
| Bettison, Z.L. | Bolkus, A.C. | Boyer, B.I. |
| Brock, G.G. | Brown, M.E. | Champion, N.D. |
| Clancy, N.P. | Fatchen, T.A. | Fulbrook, J.P. |
| Hildyard, K.A. | Hood, L.P. | Hutchesson, C.L. |
| Koutsantonis, A. | Marozzi, M.J. | Mitton, J.A. |
| Nicholson, L.H. | O’Hanlon, C.C. | Pearce, R.K. |
| Priest, T.M. | Rich, C.C. | Roberts, J.L. |
| Rolls, A.J. | Savvas, O.M. | Schultz, M.J. |
| Shaw, E.R. | Spencer, M.R. | Stinson, J.M. |
| Szakacs, J.K. | Thompson, E.L. | Wilkins, D.G. (teller) |
Voted AGAINST rainbow families on birth certificates
Jack Batty MP (Liberal)
David Paton MP (One Nation)
Robert Roylance MP (One Nation)
Josh Teague MP (Liberal)
Sam Telfer MP (Liberal)
Chantelle Thomas MP (One Nation)
Jason Virgo MP (One Nation)
Tim Whetstone MP (Liberal)
Cory Bernardi MLC (One Nation)
Nicola Centofanti MLC (Liberal)
Sarah Game MLC (Family First)
Heidi Girolamo MLC (Liberal)
Laura Henderson MLC (Liberal)
Rebecca Hewett MLC (One Nation)
Ben Hood MLC (Liberal)
Dennis Hood MLC (Liberal)
Michelle Lensink MLC (Liberal)
Carlos Quaremba MLC (One Nation)