Saturday Magazine

6 Jan 2025

Sat 04/Jan/2025: REPRIZE-31st, August, 2024: Josh Burns, MP MacNamara Census Exclusion Backflip

Current Affairs, Interview, Joy, Joy 94.9, Joy Media, Media, News & Politics, Podcast, Saturday Magazine, Society & Culture

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Sat 04/Jan/2025: REPRIZE-31st, August, 2024: Josh Burns, MP MacNamara Census Exclusion Backflip

In this reprise segment, Macca and Nevena talk to Josh Burns, MP MacNamara Census Exclusion Backflip.

Victorian backbencher Josh Burns said on Thursday afternoon that he had made “representations inside government” after Labor on Sunday walked back a pledge — contained in its 2023 national platform — to count the queer community in the 2026 Census.

And a few hours later, the government’s social cohesion envoy Peter Khalil said he had been doing the same.

“I think that the Census … is a really important tool to be able to gather data; to be able to gather information that feeds into the delivery of government services to hopefully get better health outcomes,” Burns told ABC television on Thursday.

He said the LGBTIQ+ community “deserves to be included” and the government needed to consider its decision.

Burns also broke ranks with his party in May, over its decision to back a non-binding United Nations General Assembly resolution that recommended the Security Council “favourably” reconsider Palestinians gaining full membership.

The backflip and lack of data supporting the Census decision have prompted a swift backlash from advocates, LGBTIQ+ groups and experts alike. Along with crossbenchers, they are urging the government to reconsider its decision.

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