Anthony Albanese has ‘tied himself in knots’ over census: Andrew Bragg

Anthony Albanese must ensure a question on gender identity, not only sexuality, is included in the next census, as MPs raise concern with the optics of the situation.

Liberal frontbencher Andrew Bragg said the Prime Minister’s census backflip showed ‘a weakness in leadership’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Anthony Albanese must ensure a question on gender identity, not only sexuality, is included in the next census, with government MPs raising concern with the optics of the Labor leader being pushed on the issue by members of the Coalition as well as advocates.

Liberal frontbencher Andrew Bragg on Sunday said a question on gender identity was “reasonable” and that the Prime Minister’s backflip on including a question on sexuality but failing to ensure data was also collected on the trans community showed “a weakness in leadership”.

“The Labor Party promised this at the last election. So I’m not surprised that the LBGT lobby is very disappointed and feels let down,” Senator Bragg, a leading moderate in the Liberal Party, said on ABC’s Insiders.

“But I’m not surprised having now observed this government for a couple of years who doesn’t seem to have any principles.”

Senator Bragg refused to back in opposition leader Peter Dutton, who described the debate on such census questions as a “woke issue”.

When asked if he agreed with such a categorisation, Senator Bragg said “my view is that those are reasonable questions to ask”.

“Asking questions about gender identity and sexual orientation are reasonable … and I think that it is very disappointing for the LGBT community to have put faith perhaps in this government and they have been let down and have been treated appallingly, he said.

“The fact that the Prime Minister has tied himself in knots on this issue shows a great weakness in his own leadership.”

Other Coalition MPs, including Victorian moderate Keith Wolahan, have also indicated their support to having both questions included in the 2026 census.

“I don’t see the harm in adding that,” Mr Wolahan told ABC on Friday.

Even leading conservative Coalition members, like Matt Canavan, have said they “don’t care” either way about the issue and wouldn't have a problem with the questions being added.

As Mr Albanese faces growing calls from both members of the Opposition and LGBTQI advocates, some of whom say he should not be invited to mardi gras, Labor MPs raised concern with the optics of the situation.

While indicating Coalition MPs like Senator Bragg did not speak for the whole Opposition, sources agreed the handling of the situation thus far was making Labor “look bad”.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth defended Labor’s backflip to include a question on sexual orientation, describing the next national survey as “very complex”.

“What the Prime Minister has been really clear, and what the government’s been really clear is (that) we want people to complete the census, and we want simple questions that people can understand and answer that’s really important,” she told Sky News on Sunday,

Ms Rishworth noted that the census wouldn’t be held for another two years, giving the government “plenty of time to make sure that we get the questions right”.

Mr Albanese said the census must include “common sense questions that are easily understood”.

“There was already an identity type question asked in the census last time, so that’s already there. There should be something about sexual orientation as well to be included, but we’ll work those issues through,” he said.

The matter has exacerbated frustrations in the LGBTQ community over the ditching of religious discrimination reforms before the next election, which Mr Albanese promised would protect gay and trans students and teachers.

While Mr Albanese is widely expected by his party to bend to pressure and ensure a question on gender identity is included in the next census, some LGBTQI advocates have indicated the Labor leader would still not be welcome to mardi gras.

Just. Equal Australia declared Mr Albanese should not be invited to pride events, including the Sydney mardi gras, “until he reversed LGBTIQA+ exclusion from the census and protected LGBTIQA+ people in faith-based schools from discrimination”.