Big expectations under new ALP platform


Big expectations under new ALP platform


The new ALP National Platform contains more than a dozen new mentions of the LGBTI community beyond same-sex marriage thanks to resolutions passed by the ALP National Conference in early December. 


The platform will see a greater level of inclusion and protections for LGBTIs across a broad range of policy areas.


Rainbow Labor national co-convenor Neil Pharaoh said as a result of the new platform the group was expecting to see real progress from the Gillard Government on a number of fronts in 2012.


“Rainbow Labor will start discussions with a number of federal politicians, ministers and members to start to action some of the changes that we’ve seen at National Conference in our party platform,” Pharoah said. 


“We’re hopeful we’ll be able to get these underway in 2012.”


The new platform includes a commitment under ‘Labor Values’ to address the healthcare needs of LGBTI Australians, and supports expanded discrimination provisions around freedom of expression to explicitly include sexual orientation, gender identity and relationship status.


It also commits the Labor Party to ensure all Commonwealth-funded programs adhere to state and federal anti-discrimination laws and supports a review of all Commonwealth documentation to be suitable for the needs of transgender and intersex people.


Specific transgender and intersex healthcare mentions and provisions can be found in parts 143A and 154A of the new platform.


The new platform also lists LGBTIs as a priority population with specific health needs and includes new provisions for community partnerships, support for LGBTI peak health bodies, training for healthcare workers around LGBTI issues, suicide prevention programs, LGBTI in aged care, rural communities, and consideration around Medicare and the PBS.


LGBTIs are also included in sections on the platform dealing with general men’s and women’s health, while LGBTIs have been included as a priority high-risk group for mental health.
The platform also commits the party to ensuring that legislation and regulations do not have adverse impacts on LGBTI people.

It seeks to strengthen harassment provisions by broadening the definition of what constitutes harassment of LGBTI people and mentions issues surrounding “coming out” for LGBTI Australians.


The platform also contains a Foreign Treaty commitment for the Labor Party to actively encourage the repeal of anti-gay laws around the world, particularly where the death penalty is imposed. It encourages the implementation of the actions required by the United Nations’ Yogyakarta Principles on the human rights of LGBTI people.

You May Also Like

4 responses to “Big expectations under new ALP platform
”

  1. Vote Green. With Rudd out of the picture there is no hope for social progression in either of the major parties.

  2. Julia Gillard is a huge rotten log blocking the road of Equality. To be fair, termites work slowly. Gillard was sprayed with the poison of the Catholic SDA Union who holds her numbers. She advocated against including us in the Federal Equal Opportunity Act, and refused to reduce or cut the funding of Beyond Blue and supported the Chairman of the Board Jeff Kennett, even when he said employing a bi-sexual person is like employing a child sex offender. So how does this help those in a rural community trying to come to terms with their sexuality, it helps them up onto a bridge of course. Gillard even yells at those who want to marry to look up the lessons in the Bible, while saying she is an atheist.

    I am sorry but I will keep voting Green. In the remote rural area where I live, the Uniting Church setup a young GLBTI group, due to a spate of suicides by same-sex attracted people. Where was Gillard? She was defaming the existence of same-sex attracted people at the Christian Lobby conferences. We did not get an offer of full equality, or the 244 million that the Christian Lobby programs got; we got a promise that termites will take time to clear Gillard from the road of Equality. What price are we preparted to pay while we wait for Gillard to stop helping the hate cult the Christian Lobby?