At a media conference today WA’s Attorney General John Quigley reportedly confirmed that long-promised changes to the state’s Equal Opportunity legislation would not occur until after the 2025 state election.
According to to The West Australian Quigley said the rewritten Equal Opportunity Act would not come to Parliament until after the 2025 election but said he was hopeful two other major promised reforms might progress.
The Attorney General and Premier did not rule out action on extending surrogacy services to same-sex couples and banning LGBTQ+ conversion therapy within the current term of government.
The Premier and Attorney General held a media conference for mainstream media outlets on Tuesday afternoon to give an update on a long promised commitment to remove the Gender Reassignment Board.
The government will introduce legislation to remove the Board today.
Attempts to update the surrogacy laws were undertaken in 2019 but debate was stifled by a filibuster speech from conservative Liberal MP Nick Goiran.
Subsequently the government commissioned a report into the issue, which was undertaken in 2022. The government currently lists the required legislation as being expected in late 2024.
The lack of progress on equal opportunity law reform, surrogacy and banning conversion therapy, have been widely criticised by LGBTIQA+ community groups and rights advocates.
Attorney General John Quigley has announced he’ll be retiring at the election. The premier is yet to announce who will take on the role if the Cook Government is returned at the 2025 election.
