Happening all over again

(At the time of writing, all sorts of shenanigans are happening re the Equal Opportunity Bill 2011. Due to Mary Wooldridge missing a division in Parliament, the bill was defeated on May 26. However, it is probable the bill will be re-introduced with changes. Watch this space…)

Make no mistake. The attempt to broaden religious discrimination is Victoria’s equivalent to the horrendous 2004 amendment to the Marriage Act at the federal level.

Both are cut from the same fundamentalist cloth.

It’s hard to find a logical explanation for this bill. Let’s ask four simple questions.

Why is the 2010 law that led to better balance of rights being turned back when it hasn’t even come into force yet? How has anyone had a chance to find out that “religious freedoms are being threatened” given that law passed in 2010 wasn’t even due to come into effect until August this year?

On what basis are the proposed powers to investigate systemic discrimination being wound back? Equal Opportunity Commissioner Dr Helen Szoke put this brilliantly in The Sunday Age (22/5/11) when she questioned “…why the commission’s powers were being wound back, given that other regulators, such as WorkSafe and the Environment Protection Authority, had the ability to conduct investigations”. Preventing discrimination and its effects is clearly a good idea — so let’s keep doing it.

Do all religions and all Christian denominations support the bill? How is it that only a few extremists like the ACL seem to be able to get the government’s ear on this one?

Robert Clark is yet to re-convene the Attorney-General’s Ministerial Advisory Committee on GLBTI issues. Given his complaint about the alleged impoliteness of his predecessor, how is it polite or democratic to thumb one’s nose at a community deeply affected by retrograde proposals?

Equal Rights Victoria http://www.equalrightsvictoria.com.au/ has composed a letter to mail to key people in the Coalition Government. We urge people to hit the red button on their page and get your friends to do so too. Also, contact the Lobby via our Facebook page for our position paper on the exceptions issue. Given its far-reaching effects, we have made this issue our key focus at a state level for 2011.

info: Sally Goldner is VGLRL Treasurer and TransGender Victoria spokesperson.