*Age Of Consent & Legal Sexual Activity for the State of Queensland, Australia - A campaign to remove
our Sodomy Law (which was enacted in 1990).
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24th April 2009 Email to Queensland Attorney-General Cameron Dick. I refer to my 21st
April 2009 letter
and I correct
my statement about the age of an adult under Queensland Criminal law. I very recently
became aware that the age has been 18 (and not 17 as I had thought) since at
least 1994. I also praise the Attorney-General for
his 23rd April 2009 maiden speech in Parliament, as per the Courier
Mail’s 24th April 2009 report: “QUEENSLAND'S new
Attorney-General and Industrial Relations Minister has looked to a former Labor
premier for inspiration during his maiden speech. Mr
Dick said former premier T.J. Ryan, who was elected to Parliament a century
ago, epitomised the fierce, uncompromising and
passionate advocate for the Labor cause. "Ryan believed in fairness and
equity; in social, economic and industrial justice," Mr
Dick said. "But, most importantly, he believed to his core in the
never-ending and always necessary need for reform and progress. These are Queensland values. They
are enduring Labor values. And they will guide me during my period of service
in this House."
----- Original Message -----
From: John Frame
To: Attorney General
Sent: Friday, April 24, 2009 8:07 PM
Subject: correction re age of an adult in regard to Qld age of consent
Attention: Hon
Attorney-General Cameron Dick
I refer to my letter and
email which I sent to you earlier this week regarding outstanding equal
age of consent reform in Queensland.
I wish to correct one point
I made in error with respect to the current age of an "adult" under
the Criminal Code - which, at 18, is the same in Queensland
as for the rest of Australia.
However all of the other information that I provided is correct.
Last night a QUT Law student
emailed me asking if I was aware that amendments were made to the Criminal
Code in October last year which actually made the effect of the "sodomy
law" worse. And it is true. I am disappointed to find that rather than
simply remove Sections 208 and 209, as had been recommended by the Qld Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Attorney-General
Kerry Shine decided to consolidate them as Section 208, which meant that
the penalty for attempting sodomy was effectively doubled from 7 to 14
years.
Today I was impressed to
read the extract from your maiden speech in the Courier Mail, in which you
praised T.J. Ryan (as quoted further below). I believe that by bringing Queensland into line with the rest of Australia with
a truly equal age of consent you will be demonstrating full
commitment to your stated ideals, and that this action can
only reflect positively on Labor's ongoing values.
yours sincerely,
John Frame
jvframe@ozemail.com.au
http://www.queerradio.org/JohnFrame.html
Ph: 07 3350 1562 / mobile: 0409 501 561
Post: 82 Main Avenue,
Wavell Heights
4012, QLD, Australia.
----"There is no substitute for equality"----
As per the Courier Mail 24th April
2009: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25379079-3102,00.html
Cameron Dick, Greenslopes, ALP
QUEENSLAND'S new Attorney-General and Industrial
Relations Minister has looked to a former Labor
premier for inspiration during his maiden speech. Mr
Dick said former premier T.J. Ryan, who was elected to Parliament a century
ago, epitomised the fierce, uncompromising and
passionate advocate for the Labor cause. "Ryan believed in fairness and
equity; in social, economic and industrial justice," Mr
Dick said. "But, most importantly, he believed to his core in the
never-ending and always necessary need for reform and progress. These are Queensland values. They
are enduring Labor values. And they will guide me during my period of service
in this House."