Vic Labor gay policy committee makes start
Victorian Labor is now the first state Labor branch in the country to have a dedicated GLBTI policy committee. The committee recently voted in its first president.
The ALP State Conference last June approved the establishment of both a GLBTI Affairs Policy Committee and a Victorian Rainbow Labor Network.
Committee president and South Yarra branch member Steve Perryman told Southern Star the move was historic, with Victorian Labor the first major state political party to have an official gay voice.
鈥淚nstead of shouting from the outside, we鈥檙e on the inside and we鈥檝e got a voice,鈥� he said.
鈥淲hat it means is our community has direct input into policy-making processes of the Government. It鈥檚 very important.
鈥淚t鈥檚 never happened that there鈥檚 a specialist committee that鈥檚 able to directly link with the community. It鈥檚 the first in Australia 鈥� it鈥檚 quite a significant move.鈥�
Perryman said the committee will develop GLBTI-specific policy by engaging with the GLBT community and liaising with ministers and other policy committees.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to pontificate on this or that issue. We want to find out what the community wants and then we can work out how we respond to it,鈥� he said.
However, with state and federal Labor policy platforms already slated for the election year ahead, voters shouldn鈥檛 expect a marked change to the party鈥檚 stance on issues affecting the community.
鈥淭he main thing we鈥檒l be looking at is getting to know the different stakeholders in the community and listen to what they have to say and their ideas. Next year will probably be the year we start developing policy,鈥� Perryman said.
Perryman wouldn鈥檛 be drawn on specific areas of focus but said the committee will shortly hold a planning meeting and start consultations with the GLBTI community.
Victorian Labor passed a resolution at last November鈥檚 state conference calling for same-sex marriage, however, Premier John Brumby is a known conservative on gay rights issues.
Victoria remains ahead of other states with both the introduction of the Relationship Register and allowing same-sex parents to be registered on a child鈥檚 birth certificate, however, it鈥檚 unclear where or if a re-elected Brumby Government might move further on GLBTI issues.
Same-sex parents still do not have adoption rights in Victoria and recently the Government was criticised for continuing to allow religious organisations to discriminate on the grounds of sexuality.
Southern Star contacted ALP state secretary Nick Reece for comment but did not receive a response.
If Premier John Brumby is a known conservative on gay rights issues, what befits would a Policy Committee be able to deliver.
not sure about the comment, “Victorian Labor the first major state political party to have an official gay voice.” given that the Australian Greens have had a state role for GLBTI representation for a long time.
Given that the Greens are very much a major player for the state seats of Melbourne and Brunswick, and they have 3 upper house members, and that is expected to double at this elections – the Star should be viewing them as one of the major victorian parties.
And history repeats.
Good luck guys, especially with the Catholic right and State Governments courting organised religion generally. Hulls recent back room deal was revealing. We will still be the sacrificial lamb in their attempts of incest with organised religion.
Your efforts are called, ‘co-optation’.
You would be better off giving a politician an occasional walloping around the head with a newspaper role.