22nd Jun 2021, 4:09 PM – Senate Motions - Discrimination - LGBTIQ+ people

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Victorian Senator Janet Rice (Greens), which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Attorney-General, the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Assistant Minister for Women and 17 other members of the Government recently voted in support of a motion to deny transgender young people access to medical care,

(ii) Liberal and National senators voted in support of an earlier transphobic motion that would prevent government agencies from using inclusive language, and

(iii) it is still legal for schools to expel students and sack staff because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity despite the commitment of the Prime Minister in 2018 to end discrimination against same sex attracted and gender diverse young people; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to:

(i) ensure that the rights of LGBTIQ+ people are protected, including through changes to anti-discrimination law, rather than adopting positions that undermine the rights of LGBTIQ+ people, and

(ii) commit to consulting with LGBTIQ+ people, women, disability groups, minority religious groups and all others impacted, in the process of further redrafting its proposed legislation on religious discrimination.