On August 21, the people of Australia will fulfil their democratic duty by scribbling a few marks on a ballot paper. So in light of the looming federal election, OUTinPerth has prepared a series of scorecards on the political parties who have candidates standing in Western Australia. We also asked some politically minded LGBT community members for their opinions on the standing parties:
Rodney Croome (RC) is the spokesperson for the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group (TGLRG), campaign coordinator of Australian Marriage Equality (AME), and one of the founders of the Australian Coalition of Equality (ACE). Croome played an important part in the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Tasmania in 1991 when the campaign was taken to the United Nations, the Australian Federal Government and the High Court. Croome also led the campaign against the marriage ban in 2004.
Alex Butterworth (AB) is a final year Law/Arts student at the University of Western Australia and the President of the WA Young Liberals. Alex only recently finished his term as the federal president of the Australian Liberal Students’ Federation, and is one of a number of Liberal Party figures who are openly gay or bisexual. For Alex, which party to vote for is not about whether a party supports gay marriage or not, but whether they are going to cut taxes and regulation.
Kitty Hawkins (KH) is the female Co-Convenor of Gay and Lesbian Equality (GALE), and has been heavily involved in the WA Branch of the Equal Marriage Campaign, as well as local actions for GLBTI and women’s rights.
Croome, Butterworth and Hawkins were all asked to provide a general, overall rating out of ten for each of the political parties who have candidates standing in WA. Their opinions and ratings are personal and in no way reflect those of OUTinPerth.
Australian Labor Party
Elected Members
32 Senators
83 Federal Members
History: Almost 110 years ago, the Federal ALP was created in 1901 following the first federal election of the new commonwealth. While the Caucus enjoyed two minor election wins, the ALP didn’t win its first Majority Labor government until 1910 led by former PM Andrew Fisher. The ALP has notched up about 51 years in government through 12 Prime Ministers including the most recent and first female PM Julia Gillard.
LGBT Stance: In 2008, the Rudd Labor Government amended 85 federal laws to recognise many basic rights of the LGBT community. Despite this, the Rudd and now Gillard Government have maintained the marriage ban under the same reasoning as the Liberals. In 1989, the Labor-led WA government decriminalised gay sex while the four states that have allowed civil unions so far (NSW, ACT, TAS and VIC) were also governed by ALP state governments.
KH: A nationally consistent relationship recognition scheme is national Labor Party Policy, and there are a large number of ministers and members within the party that continue to fight against the marriage ban and advocate for equal rights for same-sex attracted and gender-diverse Australians. 5/10
RC: Labor has picked up on overdue reforms like recognising same-sex de facto couples federally, and smaller issues like advocating against LGBT discrimination internationally. But it is still unwilling to move on big-picture items like national LGBTI anti-discrimination laws and marriage equality. There’s no obvious sign this pattern will change under Julia Gillard. 5.5/10
AB: The ALP is the political arm of the union movement. They have increased debt, increased taxes and mismanaged government. It doesn’t matter who you are, they have been a bad government. 1/10
Liberal Party
Elected Members:
32 Senators
55 Federal Members
History: The Liberal Party was established in 1944 after former PM Robert Menzies united all the non-Labor parties to present a strong opposition to the ALP government. Since its first election win in 1949, the party has governed a total of 43 years through six different Prime Ministers. The Liberal Party and the National Party have worked together in Coalition since it was first elected to federal government.
LGBT Stance: In 2004, the Howard Government formally banned same-sex marriage by amending the Marriage Act to recognise marriage between a man and a woman. Last year, State Liberal Attorney-General for WA Christian Porter denied gender recognition to two WA transgender men through an appeal.
KH: Liberal Party policy does not support same-sex marriage or the adoption of children by same-sex couples. However, Tony Abbott has indicated that he would support federal anti-discrimination legislation and a nationally consistent relationship recognition scheme. 2/10
RC: The Liberals have failed to follow the UK Conservatives by moving to the centre and developing their own LGBT policies. Instead, many of them still seem to think LGBT issues are only important as a way to wedge their opponents. I see no movement away from this under Tony Abbott. 4/10
AB: The party of individualism, free enterprise and honest government. They’re good for every Australian, irrespective of sexuality. 10/10
Australian Greens
Current elected Members: 5 Senators
History: The first of its kind in the world, the Greens Party began in 1972, championing environmental campaigns in Australia. But it wasn’t till 1992 that they formed the Australian Greens Party, a national party. While the party has no presence in the federal House of Representatives, their role in the senate remains vital to both major parties.
LGBT Stance: The Greens have avidly supported same-sex marriage; however they were outvoted 38 to 6 back in 2004, despite support in the Senate from the Democrats. This year, AG Senator Sarah Hanson-Young introduced the Marriage Equality Bill that was defeated in the senate, disregarding a call for a conscience vote. The AG have proposed a range of LGBTI-friendly policy with some emphasis on gender diversity.
KH: The Greens support identity recognition for transgendered and gender-variant people, an end to legal and social abuse and vilification, public education initiatives relating to issues of sexuality and gender-identity, recognition of Intersex as a gender by the legal system, funding to GLBTI-supportive agencies and charities, nationally consistent age of consent-laws as well as advocating for the rights of refugees of diverse sexuality and gender. 10/10
RC: The Australian Greens have strong policies and have been keen to fly the flag on marriage equality. But I can’t give them a full score until they come up with a practical, long-term plan for working with the LGBT community to achieve shared goals. 7/10
AB: The Greens are so over-zealous that they do a great dis-service to the gay community. 2/10
National Party of Australia
Elected Members
5 Senators
9 Federal Members
History: Nearly 90 years strong, the National Party have had continuous representation in parliament since 1920. The National Party formed the Coalition with the Liberals in 1923 to strengthen the opposition against the ALP.
LGBT Stance: Following the same lines as the Liberals, the Nationals voted to institute the same-sex marriage ban back in 2004. The WA branch of the party is becoming a little more progressive in their stance.
KH: The nationals so far have been mute on the issue of GLBTI rights, with the exception of the state branch of the party whose policy supports civil unions. 3/10
RC: The National Party is yet to follow its WA counterpart by moving closer to the centre on LGBT issues. The dominance of anti-gay figures like Ron Boswell and Barnaby Joyce bodes ill for egalitarian bush values having any influence on the Nats’ attitudes to LGBT people. 3/10
AB: They claim to represent one part of Western Australia, which isn’t so great if you’re in the other part. They’re a good party nonetheless. 9/10
Family First Party
Elected Members: 1 Senator
History: Family First was founded in 2001 and has just one member in Federal Parliament, Senator Steve Fielding. While the party promotes a family-focused approach, the attitudes resonate with a strong religious conviction. Small Business promotion is another leading policy for the party.
LGBT Stance: Earlier this year, when the Green’s proposed amendments to the Marriage act were voted down, Senator Fielding said the proposal undermined marriage and the family unit. Family First didn’t support many of the 85 law amendments that were granted to same-sex couples in 2008.
KH: In the past Family First have attempted to block legislation that would ban religious organisations from discriminating against GLBTI people and have described same-sex parenting as ‘social engineering’. 0/10
RC: Family First puts the families of LGBT people last. 1/10
AB: Family First support families and I guess we’re all from a family in one way or another. 5/10
Democratic Labor Party of Australia
No elected members in Federal Government
History: An offshoot of the Labor Party, the DLP began after a split in the party over allegations that unions were being influenced by the Communist Party. According to the DLP website, the ex-ALP members formed the party in the mid 1950s as a ‘progressive’ organisation to oppose the ALP.
LGBT Stance: The DLP are unequivocally against same-sex marriage and any form of legally-binding recognition like relationship registers or civil unions. Bluntly opposing same-sex adoption on a fundamental level, they’re also against any family unit beyond the conventional mother and father model.
KH: The DLP vehemently oppose the ‘degradation’ of marriage by providing any kind of legal recognition to same-sex or gender-diverse couples, and uphold the ‘traditional’ family as a goal for all Australians to aspire to. 0/10
RC: The DLP has shown some signs of moving on from its unpromising origins as a largely Catholic party, but how far remains to be seen. 2/10
AB: The DLP are just the Old Catholic Right of the union movement and no friend of the gay community. 2/10
Christian Democratic Party
No elected members in Federal Government
History: The Christian Democratic Party was founded around 30 years ago by leader Rev Fred Nile. The CDP is ‘pro-Christian, pro-family, pro-life’, with the objective to reign in all legislative policy to line up with the ‘will of God’.
LGBT Stance: To no surprise, the CDP prohibits homosexuality, pornography and other ‘sexual aberrations’. Through their commitment to the bible, they indirectly oppose same-sex marriage and alternative family models.
KH: The Christian Democratic Party oppose same-sex marriage, as well as IVF treatment and adoption for any but married, heterosexual couples and support an abstinence-until-marriage approach to sexual health. 0/10
RC: The CDP goes one step further than Family First and actually demonises LGBT people. -2/10
AB: The name says it all. 4/10
Socialist Alliance
No elected members in Federal Government
History: Formed in 2001, the Socialist Alliance is a broad coalition focused on the rights of workers and the poor. According the SA website, the party has campaigned for a variety of issues related to humanitarian and environmental concerns.
LGBT Stance: The SA Party has a very supportive and comprehensive policy for the LGBTI community. They are very inclusive with separate and specific policies for gay/lesbians and intersex people, recognising the significant differences between the two.
KH: Socialist Alliance have a very comprehensive list of policies relating to gender and sexuality on their website – with special focus on trans* and intersex issues including the provision of appropriately-gendered (or non-gendered) legal documents for trans* and gender-variant people. 10/10
RC: Like the Greens, SA has strong policies and is active on marriage equality, but it has little parliamentary experience. 7/10
AB: Like the Greens, the Socialists are extremists. Fortunately, they are such a political irrelevance they are prevented from doing too much damage. 3/10
The Australian Sex Party
No elected members in Federal Government
History: The ASP was formed in 2008, appropriately launched at the 2008 Melbourne Sexpo event. The party has strong opposition against government censorship of adult entertainment with significant links to the Eros Association – Australia’s national adult retail and entertainment association. Fiona Patten currently leads the 2,000-strong party.
LGBT Stance: On the policy front, the ASP seeks to ‘create total equal rights in all areas of the law for gays, lesbians and transsexuals,’ among a range of other equality-based policies.
KH: The Australian Sex Party supports the equalisation of all laws related to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Australians as well as the provision of a federal unbiased and accurate sex education curriculum in schools. 9/10
RC: Like the SA, the Sex Party is active on marriage equality, but it has little parliamentary experience. 7/10
AB: If you want to throw away your vote, there are worse ways to do it. They might sound like a great idea, but do you really want them in parliament? 6 (or 69)/10
Compiled by Benn Dorrington
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