Expunging gay sex convictions in Queensland not a priority: Attorney-General
QUEENSLAND’S Attorney-General has said there are no plans to allow expungement of historical gay sex convictions in the state, despite expungement legislation passing in Victorian Parliament earlier this week, and NSW Parliament’s lower house today.
History was made in Victoria on Tuesday when both houses of parliament voted in favour of a bipartisan bill to remove the criminal records of people convicted of homosexual sex when the act was still illegal in the state before 1981.
Similar legislation has been introduced via a private members bill from Liberal Party MP Bruce Notley-Smith in New South Wales parliament, passing the lower house today.
However, there are no such plans underway in Queensland and the call to follow other states and quash criminal records is not considered a priority by the state’s Attorney-General, Jarrod Bleijie.
“Any decision on this would need to be considered and approved by cabinet and there are currently no plans to bring it to cabinet,” a spokesman for the Attorney-General told the Star Observer.
The spokesperson pointed out that the Newman government’s priorities are focused elsewhere.
“The government’s priorities are lowering the cost of living for families, growing a four pillar economy and tackling crimes such as organised crime, drugs, domestic and drunken violence,” they said.
LGBTI community advocate Phil Browne has said he cannot see any reason why the Queensland LNP government is not following the example set by other Coalition-led states.
“These past convictions under a law that is no longer in place can impact on people’s lives in areas including employment and possibly impinge on the ability to travel freely between countries,” Brown told the Star Observer.
“This law was removed 23 years ago next month and it is only fair and just that these past convictions should also be removed.
“It is appropriate that our government follow the lead of Victoria’s conservative government and similar moves currently underway in NSW.”
Browne praised the Victorian government and opposition for supporting the bill and urged Queensland’s government to modernise its laws.
“Thanks to cross-party support this bill introduced by a conservative member was passed — congratulations to Victoria and I hope NSW’s effort is equally as successful,” Browne said.
“It would be great to see our government follow suit.”
Queensland’s opposition have opened the door to enacting similar legislation to expunge past convictions, depending on the outcome of consultation with the Queensland Reform Commission and the outcome of next year’s state election.
“Given that both consensual and non-consensual matters could be covered by the same offences, a Queensland Labor government would refer the issue to the Queensland Law Reform Commission for its appropriateness of making this change to the law and, if so, how it should be effected,” an opposition spokesperson told the Star Observer.
“[Queensland Labor is] supportive contingent on advice from the law reform commission.”
In 2012 a Federal Senate inquiry found all state and territory governments should investigate means to quash past convictions of laws that were decriminalised across the country, with Tasmania being the last state to decriminalise homosexual sex in 1997.
Don’t blame me I voted Labor
It is going to take years to fix all the wrong done by Qld LNP. I live in the joke state, not the sunshine state.
What do expect from an attorney general who only every practiced conveyancing ! He is out of his depth the little wanker!
Queensland not only 1 hour behind – but also 100 years behind on good policy!
I was at NSW Parliament today as the historic gay sex crimes bill was passed unanimously unopposed in the lower house.
Come on Queensland you can do better than this.
Pathetic.
No a fucking priority? Unbelievable
Queenslanders vote these wankers out next year
Some decision makers voice their will to ignore reality. others compound a reality they refuse to acknowledge and confirm ones feelings of not being worth the effort and implement a fix fuck all,we did something now shut the fuck up
Or we’ will further reduce your ability to be in an environment where you get a break from the shit we are, and expand the curfew.
The closing paragraph is only partly correct in stating that laws against homosexual sex had been “…decriminalised across the country, with Tasmania being the last state to decriminalise homosexual sex in 1997”. That is referring ONLY to the decriminalisation of sex between “adults”. In several states (including New South Wales and the Northern Territory until late 2003) there was a higher minimum age of 18 for ALL male to male sex. Queensland remains the only jurisdiction in Australia which maintains a two year higher minimum age of 18 for “homosexual sex” (i.e. anal intercourse under the terminology “sodomy”) – with up to 14 years jail for any offender (whether over or under 18, and no matter how freely they consented). It is equally important to wipe the convictions of those whose only crime was due to a discriminatory law which made homosexual sex illegal at an age for which heterosexual sex was legal.
Yet it was a high priority to reverse the partnership laws when they came in.
Go Queensland, determined to stay in the last century.
Good ole QLD. Still 30 years behind. It might not be a priority for him,but I’m sure it is for those affected by this archaic law. Ok. End of rant.
And of course it’s not possible for the Qld Govt to consider more than one thing at a time. The Qld LNP are the same troglodytes they’ve always been.
No surprise, what else would you expect from the Newman Government. I’m sure those convicted of such offences would not agreed to it “not being a priority”, particularly as many of those are aging.
We don’t even have equal age of consent laws, we still have gay panic defense laws, the AIDS Council is not funded, support services for PLHIV have been dismantled, and the partnership recognition law was wrecked. The last thing on this guys agenda would be something that would send a message to the LGBTIQ communities that we are valued, included and equal.
I think a Lutheran, hardly kind or decent as a human being. Full of judgement and hatred. Hideous conservatism!
Now you know why I sold up and got the hell out of Shithole, Capitol of the Deep North. Where temperatures rise and IQs go down!
No surprises there from that pig
*evil man
Oh well hopefully they’ll be gone shortly.
What an man the QLD attorney general is. I am so glad I live in Victoria. It will happen soon across every state and territory soon I hope.
Victimisation, the hallmark of the Queensland government.