Bill Shorten has ruled out changes to gender on birth certificates, leaving the Tasmanian Labor party at odds with their federal colleagues.
Shorten’s comments throw State Labor into even further disarray after yesterday’s stunning revelation by Ella Haddad that Labor now claims to be ‘consulting’ on their plan to remove gender from birth certificates. But who they are consulting and how remains a mystery.
After standing in lockstep with the Greens only two weeks ago in the Parliament, Labor has since gone to ground, refusing to answer questions from the media about their unconsulted, untested plans to dramatically change how the state manages issues of sex and gender.
They now claim to be consulting regarding birth certificates, a significant backdown. And it’s now clear their federal leader doesn’t support their plans.
If they are consulting on changes to birth certificates, they should say how and with whom.
If consultation is suddenly of such importance on that issue, why won’t they agree to consult on the full range of issues they have previously supported going through the parliament without consultation?
Labor should abandon their unconsulted, untested plans to try to ram through amendments in the parliament and instead back the Government’s planned referral to the Tasmania Law Reform Institute to properly examine issues of sex and gender.
No other state or territory in Australia has taken the proposed step of removing gender from birth certificates and in doing so exposes Tasmania to a range of potentially serious unintended consequences.
Labor need to come clean with Tasmanians – what is their policy and when will Tasmanians have an opportunity to have a say on what they are planning?
