Weekend Wrap for 24 November 2024

QLD: The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, has told Liberal National party members the party “does not exist for culture wars” in an address seeking to stare down potential division about his positions on abortion rights and nuclear power. Crisafulli’s speech to the LNP state council meeting in Rockhampton on Sunday was his first opportunity to speak directly to the organisational wing, and party members, since last month’s state election victory. Despite the election success, LNP sources say there remains consternation in the ranks about the way the party handled divisive issues including abortion and nuclear power, where the views of the grassroots membership – and the private views of many MPs – are at odds with Crisafulli’s promises not to change existing laws. (17 Nov 2024)
Read more at The Guardian

WA: The WA Government has announced community consultation is now open for our state’s first LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Strategy. Announced in February, the strategy will guide a coordinated approach through targeted support, strong partnerships and better integration between government agencies including the Departments of Communities, Education and Health and the Mental Health Commission. (17 Nov 2024)
Read more at OUTinPerth

SA: SA Liberal leader Vincent Tarzia says his party will not re-visit the late-term abortion debate following its by-election loss in Black, warning anyone who introduces a private member's bill on the topic "won't be welcome in the shadow cabinet or in the cabinet". The Liberals conceded defeat in the seat on Saturday night, while Labor celebrated a win for candidate Alex Dighton. Mr Tarzia told ABC Radio Adelaide the Liberal party now had no choice but to be "united and ruthlessly disciplined" leading into the next state election in 2026. He said the bill to amend the state's abortion laws, introduced by Liberal MP Ben Hood and voted down in the upper house last month, had been a "distraction" which would not be revisited under his leadership. (18 Nov 2024)
Read more at ABC News

VIC: A proposed overhaul of Victoria’s hate laws has provoked a backlash from church leaders and faith-based groups who fear the reforms will erode protections for religious freedom and invite discrimination against people expressing orthodox beliefs. The Allan government is also facing opposition from women’s rights groups concerned that the proposed new laws – in which existing protections for racial and religious vilification are expanded to cover a broad range of personal attributes, including gender identity – will be weaponised by activists. The original architect of the reforms, former independent (and NSL ambassador) MP Fiona Patten, dismissed these objections as “bullshit”. She said the new laws would give women, girls, people living with disabilities and LGBTQI people overdue protection from abuse. A protracted reform process, which began five years ago with Patten’s private member’s bill, will culminate this month with the introduction of the government’s Legislation Amendment (Anti-vilification) Bill. (18 Nov 2024)
Read more at The Age

NSW: Dozens of crisis meetings were held between teachers and parents at schools across NSW this week to highlight the implication of the Albanese Government’s failure to fully fund public schools. This year alone, NSW public schools face a $1.9 billion funding shortfall. Recent NSW Department of Education analysis reveals a stark disparity: while the federal government will provide $24.2 billion to 970 non-government schools over the next four years, only $14.3 billion is allocated to 2,200 public schools. (18 Nov 2024)
Read more at the NSW Teachers Federation

QLD: The Rationalist Society of Australia has called on the Mackay Regional Council in Queensland to stop imposing Christian worship on councillors, staff and members of the public in attendance at its formal meetings. The council, which boasts of fostering diversity and inclusion in its community, has not answered questions on why only Christian ministers recite prayers and sermons at the opening of its meetings. Last week, the Mackay Regional Council’s mayor, Greg Williamson, failed to answer simple questions from the RSA as to whether his council had ever invited any non-Christians to take part. (18 Nov 2024)
Read more at the Rationalist Society of Australia

WA: One of the WA Liberals’ staunchest pro-life advocates Nick Goiran has brushed aside internal party concerns that abortion will flare up as a state election issue as he prepares to speak alongside some of the pro-life movement’s most controversial figures in Sydney. Goiran will speak at the National Life Summit next month, organised by South Australian anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe alongside Katter’s Australian Party MP Robbie Katter. The anti-abortion stance of several Queensland Liberal MPs was thrust into the state’s recent election campaign after Katter vowed to introduce a private members bill to wind back abortion laws in the sunshine state. The Queensland Liberal’s poor handling of the issue was credited with reducing Labor’s expected haemorrhaging of votes in metro Brisbane seats. A WA Liberal insider not authorised to speak publicly said the party was worried a similar abortion debate could flare up in WA and drown out the Liberals’ efforts to focus on other areas like cost of living and justice. (19 Nov 2024)
Read more at The Age

SA: SA Health says it will "no longer" partner with an organisation that is run by members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church following questions by the ABC. Former members have spoken to the ABC about the church's rules, views on women and position on university attendance, describing it as a "cult". Church members run a charity called the Rapid Relief Team (RRT) which supports emergency service workers. The group received more than $450,000 from taxpayers in the last reporting period. (20 Nov 2024)
Read more at ABC News

TAS: The Tasmanian Government has given its support for financial redress for those people convicted under the state’s former laws against homosexuality and cross-dressing. In September the state’s Lower House voted for a Greens’ redress scheme against the Government’s wishes. Ahead of debate in the Upper House the Government joined Labor, the Greens and Independents in supporting financial redress by putting forward its own redress proposal. Parliament’s Gender and Equality committee will now decide an appropriate amount before the legislation finally passes. (21 Nov 2024)
Read more at Q News