Victorian politicians pledge a homophobia-free election campaign

Victorian politicians pledge a homophobia-free election campaign
Image: Martin Foley, Clem Newton-Brown and Greg Barber

POLITICIANS from Victoria’s major parties have pledged a homophobia-free campaign in the lead up to the state election in November.

Prahran state Liberal MP Clem Newton-Brown, Albert Park state Labor MP Martin Foley and leader of the Victorian Greens and upper house MP Greg Barber made the pledge in response to a question at an LGBTI community election forum on Thursday night.

The event run by LGBTI business and networking organisation GLOBE saw the three politicians face questions from the audience on a range of LGBTI and general issues affecting the community.

Topics included LGBTI youth homelessness, state-based marriage equality legislation, special religious instruction in schools, rainbow families, HIV and ice addiction in the LGBTI community.

All speakers were supportive of reform on marriage equality, but acknowledged the barrier to state-based marriage presented by last year’s High Court decision on the ACT’s marriage law.

The politicians were also grilled on general state issues including transport infrastructure, with the government copping flak from the audience over the East-West Link road project, and both government and opposition representatives coming under fire for cuts to the TAFE sector.

Newton-Brown said the government’s legislation to allow historical gay sex convictions to be expunged would go to parliament next week, but later told the Star Observer this has not been confirmed, and he was “hopeful” the bill would be tabled next week.

Newton-Brown announced if re-elected he would establish a Parliamentary Friends of the LGBTI Community group in the next term of parliament to encourage cross-party engagement on LGBTI issues.

He also announced he has booked space in Parliament House for an exhibition of material from the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives in the first sitting week of the next parliament.

The politicians praised the engagement of LGBTI community in the lead up to the election, and told the Star Observer some of the tough questions from the audience had kept them on their toes.

“This was a really engaging evening, with all the hard questions being asked, which is great,” Barber said.

Foley remained tight-lipped on any announcements from the opposition relating to the LGBTI Victorians.

“I’m confident there will be an array of announcements,” he told the Star Observer.

“LGBTI Victorians want to know about jobs, education, health and public transport, but they also want to know about legislative programs, legal certainty and health programs, ageing programs and legal programs that affect them and their community, and watch this space.”

The politicians also thanked GLOBE for hosting the event, recognising the importance of engaging directly with the LGBTI community.

“I congratulate GLOBE for putting this on, and it’s great to come in and be able to go head to head with your political adversaries and state your case,” Newton-Brown told the Star Observer.

“I recognise that individually everybody has the best will in the world for advancing GLBTI issues.”

GLOBE’s Damien O’Meara told the Star Observer he was impressed by the community’s engagement with the event, saying organisers had “a tough time” narrowing the list down from the host of questions submitted.

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4 responses to “Victorian politicians pledge a homophobia-free election campaign”

  1. I think we are beyond a committe of friends, and it is time for a Cabinet Minister. The first act of the LNP, was to strip workplace protections in the Equal Opportunity Act, for thousands GLBTI who work for government funded religious businesses, in everything from soup kitchens to personal care. Theses heroes, now live with a threat every time they turn up for work, of someone being able to sack them because of who they love.

    How such legislation happens is beyond me. GLBTI people should not be singled out for unequal treatment. A Minister for GLBTI affairs would have stopped this. Stopping taxes for hate, would block government contracts going to Singapore owned companies such as SP Ausnet, or giving millions to Optus as a supplier to public hospitals. A country that still imprisons GLBTI people does not need our taxes, it needs our condemnation.

    Given the high cost of homophobia, a dedicated Minister is not just about making politicians do what is right, it is about economic savings of allowing all to contribute equally. It is about stopping the discrimination, the bashings, reducing the destruction of lives that has gone on for to long. Promoting the health and well being of a group over represented as victims if crime, in suicide rates, and mental health issues is surely not just the right thing to do, but has huge economic benefits.

    While I welcome Clem Newton Browns response, it is difficult to achieve, without a GLBTI Minister. Robert Clark, who is the Attorney General, and in charge of the Equal Opportunity Act, told parliament homosexuality is a sick disease, in a chilling speech where he also mentioned peadophilia, telling untruths about us. With a Minister for GLBTI affairs, I doubt he could then lead the charge to strip our workplace protections in the Equal Opportunity Act, turning back the clock, and I doubt that Clem Newton Brown would have voted for this. We need a Minister, someone with the power and authority to end discrimination within parties.

  2. I’m reasonably sure it’s being podcast by the forum’s host Dean Beck via LGBTI radio station Joy 94.9, but best to get in contact with them to check.