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Section 5E of the VEA defines a 'member of a couple' as a person legally married to another person and not living separately or apart from the other person on a permanent basis, in a registered relationship with the person, or in a de facto relationship and not living separately or apart from the person.
Section 5 of the MRCA defines a 'partner' as a person legally married to the member, in a registered relationship with the member, or a person in a de facto relationship with the member. A person in a de facto or registered relationship can be of the same sex or of a different sex than the member.