The Big Step Backwards

News reports this morning confirm that Queensland Premier Campbell Newman will repeal the Civil Partnerships legislation passed just six months ago by the Bligh Government. This is no great surprise, as it was raised as a probability during the LNP campaign.

The timing is surprising. This morning's Sunday Mail has released a Galaxy Poll in which 50% of the population support gay marriage, and only 33% oppose it. Even amongst LNP voters, 42% support gay marriage and 44% oppose it. And don't forget that Premier Newman himself supports gay marriage, yet is willing to overturn this legislation to appease the noisy 42%.

But it doesn't end there. If you're gay in Queensland, there's more bad news this Sunday morning. It appears $2.6m in funding has been withdrawn from Queensland Association of Healthy Communities, according to various Twitter sources. Such funding would come from the Queensland Heath Department, yet there is no media statement announcing these funding changes.

There is, however, a newspaper report quoting Queensland's new Health Minister Lawrence Springborg stating that funding will be redirected a new AIDS Council. The Queensland Association of Healthy Communities was established in 1984 as the Qld AIDS Council. Mr Springborg believes that by lobbying for equal rights, the QAHC has strayed from its it's original charter as an advocate for gay men's health. God knows what the LNP is thinking; Speaker of the House Fiona Simpson still thinks homosexuality can be cured!

Nothing but this shameful victory will matter to Wendy Francis, head of the Queensland chapter of the Australian Christian Lobby. She'll be dancing up and down the aisle at church this morning. Ms Francis spearheaded the ACL's campaign to have the Rip N Roll posters removed from bus shelters, so that children wouldn't be corrupted by the idea of two adults choosing to take care of each other's health. The Rip N Roll campaign was funded, at least in part, by the Brisbane City Council, which was at the time headed by Campbell Newman.

Ms Francis is also vehemently opposed to civil unions, and was seen leaving Parliament House in tears the night that Andrew Fraser's Civil Partnerships bill was passed. Prior to the 2010 Federal election in which Ms Francis was standing for the Senate, she infamously tweeted

@Wendy4Senate Children in homosexual relationships are subject to emotional abuse. Legitimising gay marriage is like legalising child abuse.

Remember back in February, prior to the Qld State Election, LNP Members including Campbell Newman addressed ACL meetings, hoping to sound far enough to the right to appeal to the extreme conservatives. It's no surprise, then, that the Newman Government is honouring commitments made to a tiny group of far right conservatives, against the beliefs of the majority of the population.

Is the Queensland Government's approach to "rainbow issues" to simply pretend they don't exist, or is the LNP trying to drive gays south, thereby making them someone else's problem?

More importantly, who is pulling the strings? Queensland voted overwhelmingly for a government lead by Campbell Newman, yet in repealing the Civil Partnerships legislation, Newman is ignoring the majority view, and acting against his own beliefs.  This might be what Bruce McIver, Wendy Francis and Fiona Simpson want,  but it's not what Queenslanders - or their Premier - want.

Add your voice to the chorus signing a petition in support of equal rights in Queensland.

According to Bob

According to Katter’s Australian Party website this morning, all is well in the world of the Katterite.

“WITH a flurry of policies and more than a few rhetorical flourishes, Katter's Australian Party says it has arrived as Queensland's third political force.” You can hear Bob’s distinctive voice trying to will truth into his words.
Another paragraph on, and we learn that yesterday was the Katter Party’s official campaign launch in Townsville.
Huh? Really? Gee, they kept that quiet! Bob Katter’s distinctive voice fades…

That’s not to say that Katter and his motley crew of conservative politicians were absent from the news yesterday. After all, James Packer donated a quarter of a million to the KAP! Still, even that factoid was almost lost in all the hullaballoo about their now-infamous homophobic television ad. Aside from a pretty impressive twitter-storm last night and again this morning, the advertisement has managed to isolate Katter’s position on civil unions and gay rights. Unsurprisingly, he's agin' it.

But let’s look at the thinking behind the ad. What was it trying to achieve?

1. It was positioning Katter’s Mob on the opposite side of the argument to the ALP and the Greens.

2. It was illustrating that Campbell Newman’s own views are at odds with his party’s views.

3. It was trying to appeal to conservative values voters who may otherwise have supported Newman (in Ashgrove, where Katter’s Mob has no candidate).

4. It was trying to appeal to conservative values voters in National Party heartland who would usually support the LNP.

In summary, the ad was trying to convince us that if we are really and truly against legalising any kind of same-sex union, the only party to go to is Katter’s Australian Party.

But what’s that, I hear you say?

You’re right! Wouldn’t that be splitting the conservative vote? As reported in every newspaper in Queensland during the past six months, Katter’s Australian Party has the ability to split the conservative vote on values issues, and while the LNP policy on civil unions lines up with Katter’s policy, their leader’s personal view doesn’t. Campbell Newman continues to battle the ALP over issues of trust and credibility, and the KAP advertisement couldn’t have come at a worse time for the him and the LNP.

So here comes the fight. This morning, the Katter party came to town – to Ashgrove, to be precise – and joined forces with the Greens. *Gasp*

Surprisingly, they do have one policy in common, and it’s around Coal Seam Gas. The ALP and the LNP seem to favour digging the resources out of the ground at almost any cost. The Greens and the KAP want them left well enough alone. Their reasons are very different, but they want the same result – an immediate halt to CSG exploration. It’s worth noting that a Newspoll published in February found that CSG support in Queensland was split: one third supported it, one third opposed it, and one third were undecided. Campbell Newman blamed Anna Bligh’s government for the low support.

The LNP supports the Coal Seam Gas industry. According to the LNP website, "An LNP Government will continue to support the expansion of a sustainable CSG industry in Queensland. We recognise and welcome the huge contribution that a CSG industry will make to the State's economy, including the injection of $60 billion in capital investment, and creation of 18,000 new jobs for Queenslanders in developing an export LNG industry."

In contrast, the KAP’s website has a comprehensive statement on their CSG policy, which starts with Implement a 12 month moratorium on all proposed and new Coal Seam Gas projects and ensuring mining companies put up a “make good” bond at the beginning of the project.
 

Could Anna Bligh and the ALP actually sneak up the middle and steal this election from Campbell Newman?

I doubt it. It would take a miscalculation of biblical proportions, but you never know. On recent form, Bob Katter might just be the man to win this election for Labor.

Or I could be nuts.

Uncivil Partnerships

It’s likely to be an unholy alliance between the Queensland LNP and the Christian Right.

With Queensland LNP President Bruce McIver and Premier-hopeful Campbell Newman steering the conservative bus further and further to the right, the issue of civil unions may well be a defining point of difference between two parties that have far too much in common.

Last November, Andrew Fraser spearheaded the ALP’s campaign to legalise civil partnerships, and drove it through barrage of opposition from within the LNP, and from special interest groups opposed to gay rights. The dividing line between those who support gay rights and those who don’t isn’t always clear cut, and the Queensland vote, just a few months back, was supported 47-40. LNP members were instructed to vote as a block in opposition to the bill; ALP members were permitted a conscience vote. The way this vote was handled by Labor and the LNP respectively is now reflected back as an election issue, months after the bills were passed.

At the time, Anna Bligh shared an uncharacteristically gushy moment: "This bill is fundamentally about the human rights of Queensland’s citizens, but it is much more than that. It is about the joyful business of love and that is why it has touched the hearts of so many Australians, why so many people believe that Australia should be dealing with this issue."

The LNP opposed the bill and rejected the opportunity for a conscious vote. The LNP decision was final: Civil partnerships aren’t a priority in the minds of Queenslanders, so we won’t support them.

Frankly, that’s a pretty self-serving and disingenuous thing to say, and here’s why:

·         Civil partnerships are a priority for the gay community.

·         Civil partnerships are a priority for many others in the community who have gay family members, gay friends, or even just an interest in equal rights for all.

·         Even if Civil Partnerships aren’t a priority for all, it’s no reason to make them unattainable for all.

·         It’s not the real reason for opposing the bill.

So why is this still an election issue?

It’s an issue because the LNP and their “Christian Soldiers” want it to be an issue. They oppose the bill on moral grounds, and expect that they have the right to impose their moral imperatives on all Queenslanders – not just the ones who agree with them.

Back in November, much of the opposition to the bill came from the Australian Christian Lobby’s spokesman Wendy Francis. Prior to the vote, Ms Francis was given the opportunity to present on ABC612 Brisbane her five key reasons for opposing the bill. To balance her opposition, we also heard from Paul Martin, Executive Director of the Qld Association for Healthy Communities (the former Qld AIDS Council). Take some time to examine their arguments. The vote went ahead that night, Wendy’s team lost, and there were reports of her leaving the gallery in tears.

I have great respect for anyone who fights so passionately and sincerely for what they believe in.

Fast forward three-and-a-bit months, and we’re still hearing the same arguments. Scores of Queensland couples have registered their civil unions; registered couples have started to receive their documentation this week.

But what’s this? Campbell Newman is opposing the Civil Partnerships Regulation 2012? But hasn’t that already passed? I hear you scream?

Yep.

Of course, when the bill was before the house, Mr Newman wasn’t an elected member. He still isn’t, and even if he had been, the result would not have changed.

Around the same time as the landmark vote in Queensland, a Galaxy poll found that in excess of 78% of the population supported LNP members being allowed a conscience vote on same-sex marriage. Even that had no impact on the Queensland LNP’s decision to vote as a block. The LNP's commitment to opposing this law is apparently more important than their commitment to represent the community.

As has been reported widely in the past few weeks, the LNP’s strong opposition to civil partnerships is not shared by Mr Newman. He does, however, support his party’s conservative stand: "We oppose the bill and we continue to oppose what it's about. If we can, if we get into government, we will repeal it, but that may not be possible and we don't wish to leave people in legal limbo," he said last week on the campaign trail.

Then, he was asked what would happen to couples who had entered a civil union if the LNP wins government and the bill was overturned. He was clearly losing patience: "I can't be clearer than that."

Yes, Mr Newman, you can be clearer than that, and you must.

Today I have trawled the LNP’s website looking for the official version of Newman’s position on the existing Civil Partnerships Regulation. I’ll save you time: there’s nothing there. In fact, there’s far less policy content relating to families and values than I would’ve expected. Some of the dot points resemble slogans more than policies.

Even the good old ACL has taken a stab at getting a definitive answer from the LNP. They weren’t successful either. The question, complete with agenda-laden preamble, is

Around the world, wherever Civil Partnerships are described as the “same as marriage”, the church or Christians come under pressure to provide marriage services to them. The Civil Partnerships Bill, which was recently rushed through Parliament, provides for civil partnerships which mimic marriage in all but name. The Bill provides for partnership ceremonies and amends other laws to change the meaning of “spouse” to include those in a civil partnership.

Will your party repeal all of the Civil Partnerships Bill or those parts which mimic marriage?

The LNP’s answer:

•             LNP stands strongly for the defence of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

•             Our main focus this election will be on rebuilding the state economy.

•             Any decision will depend on whether there are any registered unions after the  election.

The LNP stands strongly for the defence of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

The LNP has made it crystal clear that our main focus this election will be on rebuilding the state economy, and addressing the pressing cost of living issues that are affecting Queensland families.

The LNP voted against the Civil Union bill in Parliament last year because it was a political stunt by the Bligh Government to distract attention from its long list of policy failures.

Any decision on the future of civil unions in Queensland will be made after the March election, and will depend on whether there are any registered unions.

Meanwhile, the ACL has set up a new website. The media release is below.

Where does all this leave Queenslanders?

Given Mr Newman’s responses to media, and to the ACL on this issue, it appears that either the LNP doesn’t an answer to the question, or they want to keep it a secret.

The Civil Partnerships Regulation 2012 is now law, and couples – gay and straight – are free to enter into those legal partnerships. If, however, the LNP wins the election on March 24, Campbell Newman will, against his own beliefs, dismantle that law, and with it, the status of legal partnerships of couples already united will be uncertain.

Perhaps, in time, Campbell Newman's commitment to oppose Civil Unions will prove to be the least palatable of all. After all, in his heart of hearts, he supports civil unions.

Sal Notes: I am a straight woman in a bizarrely happy relationship with my man. The rest of it is not your business.

The Australia Christian Lobby (ACL) is a registered company limited by guarantee. The ACL is a lobby group, not a church.