I’ve been gone for a while – but now I’m back. I hear cheers go up around the state – or at least around the suburbs where Southern Star is circulated.
A lot has happened since I last wrote for the Lobby; a federal election, weeks of counting, hung parliament, weeks of waiting, world’s longest press conference, first woman prime minister, first lesbian Minister of Finance and Deregulation, another election, more weeks of waiting, a bit more of a hung upper-house, shorter press conferences, and a man (who is so tall that I’m yet to see his head make it into a camera shot with anyone else’s) takes out top spot as Premier of Victoria.
In among the electoral mayhem, we can be certain this Coalition government probably won’t offer the same electoral sweetener the Labor party did (a $2.5 million package).
Regardless of how cynical an approach one chooses to take, there is no denying we could have used that money.
Adoption law review (and possibly reform), targeted anti-violence initiatives, relationship recognition even if only one of you is located in Victoria (thankfully, it’s a bit easier to cross register your poodle), requiring all organisations in receipt of government funding to abide by the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.
It wasn’t a bad deal, unless you’re trans. Luckily I hear there is a planned trans migration into Bentleigh.
Marginality should improve their chances of getting a look-in next time around.
All this one year after deciding to continue exemptions for religious organisations to discriminate against people based on sexual orientation and marital status.
It’s been a bit of a doozy really – and a good example of why putting all our imaginary eggs into a single, hypothetical basket just doesn’t work.
There’s a lot of work to be done. We have a lot to lose. And four years to lose it in.
We have to reorganise ourselves. And prepare to not only defend the organisations we have (who do so much for all of us), but come out swinging to expand them.
And this is the kind of work that we can all do. So come on, join. Get involved.
Hayley Conway is a former convenor of the VGLRL.
info: Visit vglrl.org.au/get-involved/become-a-member.php
