Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens are supporting the suspension of standing orders because it is important and urgent that we move to put on the record the complete rejection of discrimination against any LGBTI students and also staff—any staff, not just teachers—and, in fact, removing discrimination against all LGBTI people. We are supporting the suspension. I note that we have got Senator Hinch's motion and we have got various foreshadowed amendments to that motion. We are supporting these motions, but, again, they do not go far enough as they are currently worded. They don't include gender-diverse people, and we know that the discrimination against transgender and gender-diverse students and staff is extreme. In fact, during the marriage equality debate, the prejudice and the attacks on trans people just because of being trans showed that that level of discrimination, prejudice and stigma against trans people is still there. Also, these motions, as worded, don't apply to removing discrimination against all staff in all ways. They talk about not sacking staff, but how about hiring of staff? How about refusing promotions of staff? There are a whole range of other things that need to be addressed. We will be giving notice today for the introduction of a bill to amend the Sex Discrimination Act, which would remove all discrimination against LGBTI people associated with schools. Kids have to flourish, but so do all staff. It would make sure there's no discrimination against rainbow families, where you have two mums or two dads. We know at the moment there is discrimination in schools against those families. In short, we'll be supporting this, but we need to go much further to ensure all LGBTI people are celebrated and not discriminated against.