WA Premier Colin Barnett should raise awareness on the strengths of WA’s harm minimisation health policies and WA’s commitment to LGBTI equality at the CHOGM meeting, according to Member for Perth John Hyde.
Hyde said the Premier should use his position as host to lobby for human-rights based HIV/AIDS policies, particularly by leaders from countries like Uganda which are oppressing citizens living with HIV and gay and lesbian citizens.
‘Colin Barnett is in a position of hosting a number of informal gatherings and meetings during CHOGM. Even though he is not the prime minister, he really has a responsibility to represent the values of our state,’ Hyde said.
‘I think the Barnett government has been very silent on HIV/AIDS issues.
‘It just doesn’t seem to be on the agenda of the Barnett government,’ Hyde said.
Hyde, a member of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development and the AIDS Champion, attended the International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific in Busan, Korea.
Hyde said political commitment was a major factor in preventing HIV and AIDS.
Hyde commented it was very powerful to have the President of Fiji announce at the ICAAP that his government had amended legislation to implement human-rights based measures to assist in HIV prevention and in HIV and AIDS care and support.
‘I feel really strongly that political awareness is important. Meeting the president of Fiji, … they’re a country that has now recognised rights of sex workers and rights of people with HIV, and that comes with political awareness,’ Hyde explained.
Hyde said it is ironic that Fiji is banned from attending CHOGM in Perth but other national leaders who oppress their gay and lesbian citizens as well as people who live with HIV/AIDS will be meeting in Perth.
‘A very clear message coming from official research is that by 2020, half of all HIV transmissions in Asia will come from male to male sexual contact – we need to be dealing with this in a health and human rights context,’ said Hyde.
‘Groups in WA such as the WA AIDS Council and the WA Substance Users Association (WASUA) are doing a lot of work to prevent HIV transmission and it was very useful to listen to the views of other advocates at ICAAP’.
The Premier’s office did not respond to requests for comment before the time of publication.
Vanessa Manivannen
