Hearings Halt Decried (Press, 4 October 1985)

On 4 October 1985, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr McLay, announced that the Human Rights Commission had been denied the chance to make oral submissions regarding the contentious Homosexual Law Reform Bill. This bill aims to decriminalise consensual sexual activity between adult males aged 16 and over while also protecting children under that age. Additionally, it seeks to amend the Human Rights Commission Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. Mr McLay highlighted that the Human Rights Commission, along with the National Council of Women, was part of a larger group of 83 entities that had expressed a desire to present their views before the committee. However, a spokesman for the commission clarified that they had not intended to appear before the committee and had only circulated a statement related to the bill, not a formal submission. The Justice and Law Reform Select Committee, consisting of government members, voted on Wednesday to not hear any more submissions on the bill, reporting it back to Parliament with a 3-2 decision. This was met with strong disapproval from National Party members, who deemed the decision undemocratic and unprincipled. Mr McLay stated that the Opposition aimed to have the bill referred back to the select committee to allow the relevant organisations and individuals the opportunity to make formal oral submissions. He emphasized that, given the ongoing controversy surrounding the bill, it was only fair for the committee to hear from those who wanted to voice their opinions. The bill is expected to be presented in the House soon.

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