Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his Government told the Australian Bureau of Statistics to cancel testing new census questions on sexuality, gender identity and intersex status because they “weren’t appropriate”. Source: ABC News.
The revelation comes almost a week after the Government quietly confirmed it would not include the questions in the next census, despite it forming part of Labor’s national platform.
The move sparked days of backlash from the LGBTQI+ community and led a handful of Labor MPs to call for the decision to be reversed.
Mr Albanese appeared to back down on Friday, stating that the ABS would proceed with testing one new question on sexuality.
However, it remains unclear whether the Government will move forward with expanded questions on gender identity and variations of sexual characteristics, which were previously being considered.
Mr Albanese refused to commit to reinstating the draft questions yesterday, but said the Government would work through the issues with the ABS and the LGBTQI+ community.
The Government last week offered up a range of explanations for why it told the ABS not to proceed with testing the expanded questions.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles on Wednesday said it was to avoid a “divisive” debate, which was echoed on Thursday by Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who told the ABC he feared the issue would be weaponised against the LGBTQI+ community.
Then yesterday, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth seemed to suggest that the questions were too complicated to proceed with.
Mr Albanese supported that reasoning yesterday afternoon, stating: “Quite clearly, what there should be is commonsense questions asked that are quite easily understood.”
The Coalition’s commentary on the issue has also been mixed, with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton initially telling reporters on Thursday that it was part of the “woke agenda” and there was no need for the expanded questions.
The following day, however, he said he was “fine” with the questions if the Prime Minister had a proposal.
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Draft sexuality and gender identity census questions ‘weren’t appropriate’, prime minister says (By Maani Truu, ABC News)
