VAC calls for major parties to adopt quotas for LGBTI candidates in winnable seats

The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC) has called on Australia’s major political parties to
adopt quotas for LGBTI candidates in winnable seats. Preselection quotas within the major parties will
increase LGBTI representation in Parliament and ensure sufficient attention is paid to issues affecting those
communities.
Quotas have been used successfully in Australia in the past to increase representation for women in
Parliament, and LGBTI quotas should be adopted by the major parties to redress poor historical LGBTI
representation within each party.
By adopting this position VAC hopes to draw attention to entrenched discrimination within Australia’s
political parties and campaigns. VAC also believes increased LGBTI representation within the major parties
will help curb the extreme rhetoric about LGBTI people that has become commonplace in the public
sphere, and balance those extreme viewpoints in the party room.
VAC CEO Simon Ruth said representative quotas for women could serve as a model both for how LGBTI
quotas might work, and their potential for positive outcomes.
“We’ve seen the success organisations like Emily’s List have had in increasing women’s representation in
Parliament, so we know quotas can work in Australia,” said Ruth.
“Having more women in Parliament has contributed to positive change on issues like paid parental leave,
pay equity and measures to reduce family violence, and we believe quotas for LGBTI representation could
do the same for issues specifically affecting our communities.”
“Representative quotas and merit-based systems are not mutually exclusive. Encouraging a Parliament
that better reflects the diversity of the Australian community, its different backgrounds, experiences and
viewpoints, will lead to better outcomes for all of us.”
VAC President Chad Hughes said preselection quotas for LGBTI candidates could have a significant impact
on the tone of debate on issues affecting those communities.
“This isn’t just about legislative and policy outcomes, it’s about recognising the impact that political and
public debates about LGBTI people have on our communities,” said Hughes.
“We know that discriminatory language negatively impacts the mental health of LGBTI communities, and
the toxic discourse we’ve seen on a few issues this year needs to change. We would hope that having more
LGBTI people present in party rooms will have a positive effect on how these issues are discussed, and
allow political positions to be shaped by the people they affect the most.”
VAC’s full position statement on LGBTI quotas is attached, or can be found at www.vac.org.au/lgbtiquotas.
For more information, contact:
Benjamin Riley
Media Officer
benjamin.riley@vac.org.au
03 9865 6700
0401 267 024