Gay Greens MP Slams Lack Of LGBT Support In Budget
Image: Source: Stephen Bates MP
Although the new Federal Budget saw impressive gains for HIV support and prevention, Greens MP for Brisbane Stephen Bates has criticised the Labor government for failing to provide funding for the 10 Year National Action Plan on LGBTIQA+ Health and Wellbeing.
No new funding has been allocated to the National Action Plan, which was announced in 2022 with funding to last until May 2024. Though initially expected to create a template to address the many health disparities facing LGBTQI+ Australians, little work has been achieved regarding what it will contain.
Now, there is no mention of the National Action Plan in any of the Budget documents, despite the fact that LGBTQI+ people have a range of specific health issues that need to be individually addressed.
Bates criticised the government for removing funding from the LGBTQIA+ Action Plan, despite reporting a $9.3 billion surplus that could’ve gone towards gender affirming care, IVF and reproductive health programmes and queer-friendly health services.
“The Government knows that LGBTIQA+ people have worse health and mental health outcomes,” Bates said. So where’s the money? Where’s the money for gender affirming care? Where’s the money for mental health support?
“Anthony Albanese loves a Mardi Gras photo op – but when the time comes to do something concrete, he’s nowhere to be seen.
“I won’t stand by while Labour tries to push the National Action Plan on LGBTIQA+ Health and Welling Back in the closet.”
Bates welcomed the advances made to HIV funding, but insisted that the queer community needs much more than that – especially considering Labor is posting a profit.
He concluded: “The Greens will always push Labor to take real action to help LGBTIQA+ people. Just ‘not being Peter Dutton’ isn’t going to cut it.”
Mental health services lose big in budget
Though the government will be providing some new mental health support in the form of a new online service, mental health is considered to have been a loser in the Budget overall owing to the discrepancy between its necessity and available funding.
A full report on the Budget from the Australian Association of Psychologists further illuminated what they considered reasonable allocations of budget, such as more sessions partly-covered by Medicare and bigger rebates.
The statement from AAPi reads: “This year’s Federal Budget does not instil a sense of hope in alleviating the mental health crisis or appropriately recognising psychologists, with initiatives that are scant in detail and do not address the current needs and realities.”
Moreover, funding for mental health assistance for LGBTQI+ people specifically is sorely missing from the 2024-2025 Budget.
Greens Health Spokesperson and Senator Jordon Steele-John provided additional comments on how Labor was failing all Australians, queer people included: “In this cost of living crisis, it’s essential we support people to get the mental health services they need before they are having a crisis.”
“Labor has failed to put their money where their mouth is, and queer people are being left in the lurch as a result.”
“Labor’s budget for mental health care pales in comparison to demand. It’s beyond time for the Government to get on board with the Greens plan to get mental health care into Medicare, so our community can access the healthcare they so urgently need.”
Of course Mental Health is, once again and again and again overlooked by the politicians. There are almost No Votes in it for any of them and what there are would not win them even the most marginal seat. The politicians simply don’t care. they would rather squander trillions of dollars on Defence Equipment – never mind that the vast majority of it, including the $AU386 billion Nuclear Submarines which won’t veen be availkable until 2042 at the earliest, will be obsolete long before any of it becomes operational. Just think what all those billions could do for Housing, Health, Education all issues which affect all of usbut, in some cases, in particular the GLBTIQ+ Communities.