Tribunal to decide pamphlet status
By Alma Mistry
The Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal has retired to consider its decision over a complaint against a pamphlet authorised by the Liberal Party that claimed same-sex marriages were socially destructive.
The pamphlet, which was sent to about 100,000 Tasmanians before the 2006 state election, attacked the Tasmanian Greens policies including their acceptance of same-sex marriages.
The complaint was brought by transgender human rights advocate Martine Delaney who said it incited hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.
At the recent two-day hearing Delaney’s lawyer Peter Tree SC told the tribunal that robustness [of debate] should not be at the expense of minority groups.
The Liberal Party has defended the pamphlet, saying it was aimed at Greens policies -” not same-sex couples.
Tribunal chairwoman Helen Wood is expected to hand down her decision in the next two to three months.
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Ok I assume Martine Delaney lodged the complaint way back in 2006 or early 2007, its now 2009 – so why has it taken so long to even get close to finding out the decision from the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal ?????