❓ Hon Lynn MacLaren questions the Attorney General regarding WA's compliance with the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 and potential amendments to the Equal Opportunity Act 1984 to include gender identity and intersex status. The Attorney General defers on some points due to the Commonwealth caretaker period.
AnsweredQoN 546Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SEX DISCRIMINATION ACT 1984 — COMPLIANCE
546. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the Attorney General:
I refer to the impending 1 August
2016 deadline for state and territory governments to comply with the
commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act 1984.
(1) Will Western Australian
laws and regulations be compliant with the SDA by 1 August 2016?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Has the
government put forward, or does the government intend to put forward, specific
acts or regulations for exemption from the operation of the SDA?
(4) Can the
minister please advise whether the government will move to amend the Western Australian
Equal Opportunity Act 1984 to ensure that it is no longer legal to discriminate
against a person on the grounds of their gender identity or intersex status in
any circumstance?
546. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the Attorney General:
I refer to the impending 1 August
2016 deadline for state and territory governments to comply with the
commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act 1984.
(1) Will Western Australian
laws and regulations be compliant with the SDA by 1 August 2016?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Has the
government put forward, or does the government intend to put forward, specific
acts or regulations for exemption from the operation of the SDA?
(4) Can the
minister please advise whether the government will move to amend the Western Australian
Equal Opportunity Act 1984 to ensure that it is no longer legal to discriminate
against a person on the grounds of their gender identity or intersex status in
any circumstance?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(3) The
commonwealth government is in caretaker mode pending the outcome of the
election on 2 July 2016. The approval of exemptions for specific laws from
application of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 of the commonwealth is a matter
of policy that would be inappropriate for the commonwealth government to
consider during the caretaker period. I am advised that the commonwealth
Attorney‑General's Department is preparing advice on this matter
for an incoming commonwealth government to consider.
(4) This matter
is under consideration.
some notice of the question.
(1)–(3) The
commonwealth government is in caretaker mode pending the outcome of the
election on 2 July 2016. The approval of exemptions for specific laws from
application of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 of the commonwealth is a matter
of policy that would be inappropriate for the commonwealth government to
consider during the caretaker period. I am advised that the commonwealth
Attorney‑General's Department is preparing advice on this matter
for an incoming commonwealth government to consider.
(4) This matter
is under consideration.
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