Response from
Sue Hickey,
Independent, Clark
Equality Tasmania LGBTIQA+ Community State Election Survey 2024
Introduction
Equality Tasmania has surveyed parties and candidates on issues of
concern to the LGBTIQA+ community during each state election since 1989.
We ask for your responses to the following questions to better
inform the LGBTIQA+ community and our families and allies about their
voting options.
The relatively large number of questions in this survey is because we seek
your views on services as well as law reform, and because of the ongoing
threats to landmark reforms already achieved.
We urge you to answer each question with:
Yes
No
Undecided, uncertain or need more information
You are welcome to add any additional information.
The deadline for responses is Monday March 4th 2024.
If you have any questions please contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668
PERMISSION
To ensure we meet our obligations under the Electoral Act we ask for your
permission to publish your responses to our questions. Please write your
name below to give us permission to publish. If you are not an
independent, please indicate your party or grouping.
Name: SUE HICKEY
Party or grouping: SUE HICKEY GROUP
***
1. LEGISLATION NEEDED IN THE NEXT TERM OF GOVERNMENT
a. Conversion practices
Questions
Do you want to see an end to conversion practices in Tasmania? YES
Will you enact or vote for a prohibition on conversion practices based on
the recommendations of the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute? YES
Do you believe this should be high priority? YES
b. Intersex surgeries
Questions
Will you enact or vote for a prohibition on medically-unnecessary interventions on children with innate variations of sex characteristics based on the recommendations of the TLRI? YES
Do you believe this should be a high priority? YES
Will you support the provision of redress for those who have undergone
damaging, medically-unnecessary and non-consensual medical
interventions? YES
c. Hate crime
Question
Will you support changes to section 192 of the Criminal Code to ensure
victims of those crimes can be sure police are empowered to gather
evidence and bring charges without having to seek prior consent of the
DPP? YES
e. Expungement of historical criminal records
Questions
Will you enact or vote for the review’s recommendations to be
implemented? YES
If you indicated support for the recommendations, does this include inprinciple support for financial redress for survivors, of an amount to be
determined by a parliamentary inquiry? YES
f. An LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Act
Questions
Do you support an LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Act similar to the proposed
Disability Inclusion Bill? YES
If unsure, do you support an inquiry into the need for an LGBTIQA+
Inclusion Act? YES
g. A Human Rights Act
Question
Will you enact or vote for a Tasmanian Human Rights Act in line with the
recommendations of the TLRI? YES
2. PROTECTING EXISTING RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
a. The Anti-Discrimination Act
Questions
Will you vote against any attempt to remove existing protections for
students, staff and clients of faith-based schools and services? YES
Will you vote against any attempt to weaken or otherwise amend section
17 of the Anti-Discrimination Act, including any attempt to allow
intimidation and humiliation etc in the name of religion? YES
b. Gender recognition laws
Question
Will you vote against any attempt to weaken or otherwise amend
Tasmania’s gender identity recognition laws? YES
c. Respecting parental rights and opposing censorship
Questions
Will you respect parental choice and freedom, and oppose censorship, by
allowing schools and libraries to include age-appropriate LGBTIQA+ books
in their collections? YES
Will you respect parental choice and freedom, and oppose censorship, by
not speaking out against age-appropriate drag story time? YES
3. LGBTIQA+ HEALTH AND WELLBEING
a. Government LGBTIQA+ Framework and Action Plan
Question
Do you give in-principle support to the development and implementation
of an Action Plan and Framework with appropriate funding based on the
Telling Us the Story report? YES
b. Mental health
Question
Do you support a dedicated Tasmanian LGBTIQA+ mental health service?
YES
c. Service delivery and policy-making
Question
Do you commit to maintaining funding that will enable statewide service
delivery by Working It Out? YES
Question
Do you support a continuation of this funding? YES
d. Community fund
Questions
Do you support this fund? YES
e. Housing and substance abuse strategies
Question
Will you support LGBTIQA+ people being a priority group in Tasmania’s
housing and substance-harm strategies? YES
f. Trans and gender diverse health care
Question
Do you support increased funding for the Sexual Health Service to meet
demand and reduce wait times, as well as ongoing professional
development for healthcare providers working with the trans and gender
diverse community? YES
Question
Will you oppose an inquiry into health care for young trans and gender
diverse people? YES
g. Clinic
Question
Do you support a dedicated, multidisciplinary, LGBTIQA+ healthcare
centre? YES
If not, do you support a needs analysis to determine if such a service is
required? YES
h. Legal Service
Question
Do you support a dedicated LGBTIQA+ legal service? YES
If not, do you support a needs analysis to determine if such a service is
required? YES
4. GOVERNMENT, PARLIAMENT AND THE LGBTIQA+ COMMUNITY
a. Professional development for government employees
Question
Do you support funding to ensure all school staff, health staff, police and
emergency services staff, prison staff and Service Tasmania staff have
professional development in the issues facing LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians?
YES
b. Consultation and representation
Questions
Do you support the continuation of the existing government / LGBTIQA+
reference groups in the departments of education, health, police and
emergency services, justice and across the whole of government (some of
which have been in place for a quarter of a century)? YES
Do you support the appointment of an equality minister in the State
Government? YES
Do you support the appointment of an LGBTIQA+ Commissioner (see
LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Act above)? YES
Do you support the establishment of a Parliamentary LGBTIQA+
Friendship Group? YES
Do you support a Tasmanian LGBTIQA+ Staff Pride Network across the
public sector (there are already agency specific networks in Police and
Emergency Services, State Growth and Health? YES