Parliament crackdown
Controversial Queensland Speaker Fiona Simpson has moved to stop would-be protesters from entering State Parliament in continued fallout from a civil unions protest in June.
During parliamentary debate regarding the rollback of the state鈥檚 Civil Partnership Act and the announcement of a proposed ban on same-sex surrogacy, there were incredible scenes of community anger from the public gallery.
Simpson signed a directive on Tuesday which now gives her the power to refuse access to the Legislative Assembly to anyone not accompanied by parliamentary security pass holders if there is 鈥渃redible intelligence鈥� of a protest, including rallies outside the building.
鈥淒espite these clear conditions of entry, over the years certain individuals or groups have in recent times sought to disrupt proceedings,鈥� Simpson told Parliament on Tuesday.
In July, Simpson banned television crews from Parliament for nine days for broadcasting the disruption from LGBT community members inside the building.聽The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance condemned the television camera ban, calling it 鈥渁n assault on press freedom and the public鈥檚 right to know鈥�.
Psychologist and founder of the newly established Queenslanders for Equality community group, Paul Martin, said the new powers coupled with the de-funding of significant voices for LGBT people in Queensland, such as Healthy Communities, was a worrying sign.
鈥淚t sends a powerful message that the government does not want an open debate about LGBT issues,鈥� Martin told the Star Observer.
鈥淚t gives people the sense that their voice isn鈥檛 valued and they don鈥檛 have a place in the democratic system.鈥�
Brisbane equal rights advocate Phil Browne said Parliament must be able to function without being disrupted but that questions must be asked over what constitutes 鈥渃redible intelligence鈥� to refuse entry to the public gallery.
鈥淭he fact that someone has taken peaceful protest action outside Parliament should never be a reason to deny anyone entry to the public gallery,鈥� Browne said.
鈥淭he Speaker has justified her action in part because Parliament鈥檚 proceedings are now broadcast live over the internet, however, MPs need to be able to look up to the public gallery and see large numbers of people viewing proceedings, as a sign that citizens feel strongly on certain issues.鈥�
The Office of the Speaker denied there鈥檇 be any profiling of LGBT people seeking to view parliamentary proceedings, despite the gallery changes following the civil unions protest.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about a protest, it鈥檚 not about individuals,鈥� a spokeswoman for the Speaker told Star Observer.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure there鈥檚 anything visually different about [LGBT people].鈥�
When asked what evidence might be defined as 鈥渃redible intelligence鈥� of a protest, the spokeswoman said she couldn鈥檛 comment for security reasons.
Simpson was announced as Queensland鈥檚 first ever female parliamentary Speaker in March. An advocate of so-called 鈥榬eparative鈥� therapy, she famously told Parliament in 2002 that homosexuals could 鈥済row into heterosexuality over time鈥� and encouraged people struggling with their sexuality to contact Exodus International, a Christian 鈥榚x-gay鈥� organisation that claimed to be able to cure homosexuality.
