By Paul Sakkal
The Albanese government decided not to count the number of LGBTQ Australians in the census to avoid a divisive debate, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has said, as LGBTQ leaders threaten to boycott the national survey.
The government risks becoming embroiled in another highly charged culture war and faces a test of its progressive credentials having recently shelved plans to overhaul religious discrimination laws and disappointed anti-gambling activists with its plan for only a partial sports betting advertisement ban.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese marches at Mardi Gras in 2023.Credit: Nikki Short
Marles became the first Labor minister to give a reason for blocking moves to count transgender and sexuality in the census, telling reporters on Wednesday the government would stick with the current census questions, which do not account for gender and sexual diversity.
“We’ve seen how divisive debates have played out across our country, and the last thing we want to do is inflict that debate on a sector of our community right now,” he said at a doorstop interview in Sydney.
“We’re bringing science to bear here in terms of how best to gather data.”
The new ruling contradicts Labor’s policy platform committing to add new questions for the 2026 survey, openly dismaying ALP politicians.
Victorian Minister Harriet Shing.Credit: Chris Hopkins
Victorian Labor Equality Minister Harriet Shing, who is lesbian, told the federal government to reverse its decision in a letter this week.
“I cannot overstate the importance of relevant and accurate data,” she said on Tuesday, arguing that more data on the number of LGBTQ people would lead to better policy.
NSW state MP Alex Greenwich, a prominent gay politician and leader of the 2017 marriage equality campaign, said: “If the PM and government continue with their decision, they can expect LGBTQ people and our families won’t participate in the process.
Independent NSW MP Alex Greenwich.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
“If by default we are counted as straight, that’s deeply hurtful to a part of the population who for many years have been forced into the closet.”
Teal independent MPs and Victorian Labor joined the demands for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to reverse his government’s call to leave the census unchanged, in the same week as Labor ups its attacks on Peter Dutton for allegedly creating division in the community.
This masthead reported on Monday that the decision had upset some federal Labor MPs because the party’s policy platform commits it to adding gender and sexuality questions. Government ministers had spoken in positive terms about the proposed changes being examined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics before the government decided against making them.
On Sunday, Assistant Treasurer Andrew Leigh ruled out the introduction of new census topics, despite the Australian Bureau of Statistics apologising last year for the “hurt, stress, and anguish” caused by the exclusion of questions on sexuality.
Several Labor MPs, who requested anonymity to speak freely, said on Monday Labor had backed away from the change to avoid a potential culture war led by faith groups or the Coalition.
The ABS was due to host a briefing for journalists on Monday to discuss tests it had conducted on new questions. But on Sunday evening, the ABS sent an email stating: “Following the government’s decision on topics for the 2026 census, the briefing has been cancelled.”
A government source said on Monday officials were worried that making the census more complicated could compromise its quality, and noted that other unrelated questions had also been ruled out of the 2026 survey.
Shadow assistant treasurer Luke Howarth, whose portfolio includes responsibility for the ABS, said debate over the census questions was a “first-world problem” when asked for the Coalition’s position.
“[It] has not been discussed in my electorate. People are battling with cost of living, homelessness issues and housing,” he said.
Independent MP Allegra Spender, who has a large LGBTQ community in her Sydney seat, said Leigh had written to her earlier this year to say the questions had “strong public value” and should be tested before the next census.
“Suddenly, the government has pulled the plug and given absolutely no explanation, which is, frankly, insulting to the people that this matters to,” she said on ABC Radio National.
Prominent gay campaigner Rodney Croome said on Monday Albanese should not be invited to next year’s Mardi Gras parade despite being the first sitting prime minister to march at the event in 2023.
Victorian Liberal equality spokesman James Newbury said: “The prime minister has stained his legacy and he needs to immediately reverse the decision or he could be personally responsible for the biggest boycott of the census Australia has ever seen”.
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