The Senate has supported a motion calling on the Government to encourage the public to reach out to LGBTIQ people and enquire about their wellbeing for R U OK? Day.

“We are being told by mental health experts that the LGBTIQ community will experience negative mental health impacts during the marriage equality survey, so it is more important than ever to ask R U OK?”, Australian Greens spokesperson on Mental Health Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

NOTICE OF MOTION                                                                                   12 September 2017

I give notice that on the next day of sitting I shall move  –

That the Senate –

The Australian Greens are calling on the government to increase funding for support services for trans and gender diverse young people, after research by the Telethon Kids Institute found that 48% of trans young people have attempted suicide, 80% had self-harmed, and that they are 10 times more likely to suffer serious depression and anxiety compared with the general Australian adolescent population.

Australian Greens Senator and LGBTIQ spokesperson, Janet Rice, has joined Australian Marriage Equality in a challenge to the validity of the postal plebiscite in the High Court.

"I’m pleased that the movement for equality has put forward strong legal challenges, and I’m honoured to be a part of these. The postal plebiscite would subvert the will of the Parliament after the Senate again rejected legislation for a plebiscite. LGBTIQ Australians and their families will be hurt by this expensive, divisive, non-compulsory, non-binding postal plebiscite,’ said Senator Rice.

The Australian Greens are urging everyone, particularly young people, to check that their enrolment details are up-to-date or to quickly get themselves on the roll so they have the choice of voting in a postal plebiscite on marriage equality if one goes ahead, said Australian Greens leader Dr Richard Di Natale and Greens LGBTI Spokesperson Sen. Janet Rice.

A Greens motion has succeeded in the Senate which forces the production of documents regarding the postal plebiscite. This order compels the government to divulge the details and legal advice relied on in making their decision to proceed with postal plebiscite.

The Senate motion has decreed that these documents be produced by 11:50am tomorrow, Thursday 10 August 2017.

‘This order will start to peel back the veneer of the government’s shonky, illegitimate and ludicrous plebi-survey,’ said Senator Janet Rice, Greens LGBTIQ spokesperson.

Australian Greens LGBTIQ spokesperson Senator Janet Rice has lodged a notice of motion in the Senate requesting documents that lay out the advice the government has used to arrive at the postal plebiscite plan.

“Like many Australians today, we have many questions about the Government’s ludicrous postal plebiscite. The public deserves to know more about just how the government has cooked up this hair-brained idea,” said Senator Rice.

The Australian Greens are urging the federal government to assist universities in implementing the recommendations from the Australian Human Rights Commission’s report on sexual assault and harassment on university campuses.

The report shows LGBTIQ students experience much higher rates of assault and harassment, with 45% of trans and gender diverse students, 44% bisexual students and 38% gay/lesbian students sexually harassed on campus in 2016. Trans and gender diverse students were more likely to experience harassment than any other group.

Christopher Pyne’s comments about marriage equality over the weekend show just how impatient many members of the Coalition are for marriage equality to be achieved now, say the Greens.

‘It’s staggering that Malcolm Turnbull is publicly standing by Tony Abbott’s plebiscite, meanwhile one of his senior ministers says equality will happen “sooner than everyone thinks,”’ said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens spokesperson for LGBTIQ issues.

‘Australian couples shouldn’t be forced to keep waiting for their love to be recognised,’ said Senator Rice.