Tasmanian Labor Pledges ‘A Fresh Start’ With LGBTQIA+ Commitments Ahead of Snap Election

The Tasmania Labor Party has announced a package of commitments for the LGBTQIA+ community, ahead of the state’s snap election tomorrow, Saturday 19 July.

The early election was triggered — the last one was held just 15 months ago – after Labor moved its motion of no-confidence against Premier Jeremy Rockliff in the Tasmanian Parliament, following months of political instability, complaints about the state’s budget, and failed negotiations with independents.

The suite of policies — framed as “a fresh start for the LGBTQIA+ community” — aims to address some of the modern results of historic harms, and build a more inclusive queer future in a state with a chequered past on LGBTQIA+ rights.

If elected, the party has pledged to appoint a dedicated LGBTQIA+ Equality Commissioner within the Tasmanian Human Rights Commission — an independent role tasked with tackling discrimination, improving representation, and overseeing systemic reform.

Labor has also committed to a whole-of-government LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Strategy, aiming to ensure inclusive practices across all departments.

Other pledges include strengthening access to gender-affirming healthcare, ensuring LGBTQIA+ content and support is embedded in school curriculums, and mandating diversity training for government employees.

Here’s the full list from the Tasmania Labor website:

• Appoint a Minister for Equality
• Ban conversion practices
• Address hate motivated crimes with new offences in the Police Offences Act and Criminal Code and sections of Sentencing Act
• Continue the LGBTIQA+ Framework and Action Plan
• Review funding for Equality Tasmania
• Provide redress for people who have historical offences of homosexuality expunged
• Legislate for a Human Rights Act
• Protect and defend our Anti-Discrimination Act and Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Act

Labor LGBTQIA+ election commitments “overdue” and “show the way forward” — but do they go far enough?

“Labor respects and values the LGBTIQA+ community, we are part of the community and join with LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians, their families and allies to push for change that protects, benefits and celebrates the community,” Shadow Equality Minister Ella Haddad told Equality Tasmania.

Speaking on the three major parties committing to key reforms for the LGBTQIA+ community, Equality Tasmania Acting President, Dr Ash Russell, said, “It’s great that all three parties agree on key law reforms, but these reforms are long overdue and we need a strong commitment to delivering them as quickly as possible after the election.”

“The longer a conversion ban takes the more interstate perpetrators will find a haven for their damaging practices in our state. The longer it takes to enact financial redress the more elderly gay and trans people will die before they can receive that redress.”

The policy’s title is a nod to Tasmania’s difficult legacy with queer rights. The island state was the last in Australia to decriminalise homosexuality, only doing so in 1997, after a bitter national legal battle and international condemnation. In the years since, Tasmania has made strides in reform, but local advocates say disparities remain.

One particular disparity is LGBTQIA+ mental health, and Working It Out — a longstanding LGBTQIA+ support service in Tasmania — CEO Olivia Hogarth says that a dedicated mental health service is desperately needed.

“Tasmania needs a dedicated LGBTIQA+ mental health service. National research shows levels of mental health risk among young LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians, due to stigma and discrimination, is the worst in the nation,” said Hogarth. “The Liberal Government has funded mental health peer navigators but both Labor and the Greens have agreed to a dedicated LGBTIQA+ mental health service.”

Labor’s commitments have been welcomed by advocacy groups and LGBTQIA+ rights advocates, who say the plan sets a clear benchmark for progress both in Tasmania and nationally in addressing the disparities our community experiences.

“We welcome Tasmanian Labor’s LGBTIQA+ election policy and its commitments in response to our election survey,” said long-time activist and spokesperson for Equality Tasmania, Rodney Croome.

“Tasmanian Labor’s LGBTIQA+ commitments go beyond those of Labor parties in other states and at a federal level, and show the way forward for Labor across the nation. The election commitments of the Tasmanian Greens, Liberals and many independents also rise to a standard that exceeds their interstate counterparts. This is a tribute to them and to Tasmania’s LGBTIQA community advocates.”