For further comment, please contact GLRL CoConvenors:

Katy Reade
0418 207 027 or Anthony Schembri
0400 817 299

For other media enquiries, please contact:
Anthony Hillis, Media Officer - 0411 288 128

PRESS RELEASE - 28 February 2001

Senators reject Howard’s attack on sex discrimination act

The Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (GLRL) welcomed the report tabled yesterday by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee investigating the impact of the proposed Sex Discrimination Amendment Bill (No.1) 2000, which is designed to prevent lesbians and single women from accessing IVF/ART services.

The six member Senate Committee, which included three government members, failed to reach a consensus on its view of the Bill, with the majority finding the Bill to be defective in its content and contrary to the spirit of the Federal Sex Discrimination Act and to Australia’s international human rights obligations.

“The Howard Government’s morally conservative agenda of attempting to deny lesbians and single women the right to access such services has been dealt a severe blow by the Senate Committee” said GLRL CoConvenor Katy Reade. “The Committee has recognised that this Bill is a dangerous threat to Australia’s human rights record. The majority of the Committee has demonstrated that notice was taken of the strong evidence put before it concerning the discriminatory intention and effect of the Bill,’

“The GLRL and other organisations and agencies, such as the Anti-Discrimination Board and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, presented powerful submissions to the Committee outlining how the proposed amendment to the Federal Sex Discrimination Act would seriously undermine Australia’s standing in terms of treating all its citizens equally.” said fellow GLRL Co-Convenor Anthony Schembri.

“The message has to be sent to our law-makers that the passing of this Bill would amount to a retrograde step for equal opportunity and anti-discrimination in this country.” Reade stated. “Prejudice and ignorance should not be allowed to dictate who has access to services that enable women to receive treatment in a safe and supervised manner.”
The GLRL urged Parliament to accept the majority view of the Committee and reject the Bill outright when it is debated next month.