*Age Of Consent & Legal Sexual Activity for the State of
12th May 2008 Email
to Tim Herbert, Senior Policy Advisor to
----- Original Message -----
From: John Frame
To: Attorney - SMTP
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 11:24 AM
Subject: attn Senior Policy Advisor Tim Herbert
To: Senior Policy Advisor Tim Herbert
Your Reference: 506773/1 J/08/
Dear Tim,
Thank you for your brief advice today in which you
reiterate the Bligh Government's often repeated position that they
have no plans to bring
However my queries have not been as to whether the
Bligh Government might be planning to enact reform, but rather as to the
specific reasons why they are delaying any action. Since 2003
I believe that if the Bligh Government is to feel in any way morally content in maintaining discrimination against youth which is known to increase the risk of abuse, self-harm, suicide and sexually transmitted infection (including HIV), then the Government must have the courage and honesty to reveal those reasons in detail.
In order to hold any credibility the reasoning needs to be much more substantial than the only justification offered so far, which is that "The issue of the age of consent is a vexed one and one in which there are deeply held and opposing views" (as per http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/EPetitions_QLD/responses/421-05.pdf )
I believe that the Government's inaction is in
itself an action to choose to maintain severe and undue discrimination against
I welcome a response with detailed reasoning for the Government's chosen inaction.
Yours sincerely,
John Frame
jvframe@ozemail.com.au
www.queerradio.org/AgeOfConsent.htm
Ph: 07 3350 1562 / mobile: 0409 501 561
Post:
----"There is no substitute for equality"----