Tied in knots on census questions

Has Anthony Albanese lost the nerve to go “boo!” at a goose? It certainly seems so given his government’s inability this week to decide on questions on gender and sexuality in the next census. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has floated including them next year.

It was part of a regular process to decide on questions to add or remove, what with people’s patience not being endless on census night. Given that Australians’ personal lives are no business of the government, it is hard to see why bureaucrats need to know. But the ABS decided they do, which is where the issue should have ended.

Last week, however, ministers got involved and the questions were dropped. Reasons ranged from the need to focus on the cost of living to avoiding a divisive debate. But then protesting Labor (and some Coalition) backbenchers spoke up and lo! – a question is back for testing, which now upsets the Greens who complain that it does not cover trans and intersex people.

The Prime Minister said including a question on gender was part of a modernising process. He said a question about sexuality/sexual preference would be optional for those who preferred not to answer it. As Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie rightly says: “It is interesting to see Labor tearing itself apart over these type of cultural issues when Australians are actually struggling to pay their mortgage and their rent.”

This shambles demonstrates what happens when a ministry stops governing and starts appeasing. In this case it appears as if the government initially sought to avoid offending conservatives and then switched when it realised Labor backbenchers facing Greens challengers would be at risk.

The government got itself into a similar state over changing the Anti-Discrimination Act to prevent faith-based schools not hiring gay teachers. When the opposition refused to sign up, the government lost its nerve because the issue would lead to, yes, a “divisive debate” – as if such were foreign to the political process.

As for the census, it appears the numbers Mr Albanese is really interested in are votes in Labor electorates.