*Age Of Consent & Legal Sexual Activity for the State of
31st
August 2007 Email
from the office of Hon. Attorney-General Mr. Kerry Shine in
reply to my 27th July 2007 email (to the Editor of
the Courier Mail, C.c. to the Attorney-General) in which I had quoted Peter
Beattie from 1990 to support the need for an equal age of consent to help prevent
HIV infection of our state’s youth. The
Attorney-General advises “I
agree that we need to ensure young people have access to safe sex information,
and an attitude of openness, honesty and frankness will facilitate this.” However he then repeats the stock Government
line that “the
issue of the age of consent is one in which there are deeply held and opposing
views. The Government has no plans to alter the applicable law at this time…”
----- Original Message -----
From: "Attorney - SMTP" <Attorney@ministerial.qld.gov.au>
To: <jvframe@ozemail.com.au>
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 10:54 AM
Subject: Attorney's Response
In response to your recent email, please find attached correspondence
from the office of the Honourable Kerry Shine MP,
Attorney-General and
Minister for Justice and Minister Assisting the Premier in
Queensland
Kind regards,
Office of the Attorney-General and
Minister for Justice and
Minister Assisting the Premier in Western Queensland
Level 18, State Law Building
50 Ann Street
BRISBANE QLD 4001
PO Box 149
BRISBANE QLD 4001
> Phone: 07 3239 3478
> Fax: 07 3220 2475
Email: attorney@ministerial.qld.gov.au
In reply please quote:
J/07/04850
Mr John Frame
Dear Mr Frame,
Thank you for forwarding a copy of your letter written to the Editor of the Courier Mail newspaper on 27 July, 2007.
The matters raised in this letter are matters which you have canvassed with previous Attorneys-General on a number of occasions.
I agree that we need to ensure young people have access to safe sex information, and an attitude of openness, honesty and frankness will facilitate this.
As you have been advised in the past, the issue of the age of consent is one in which there are deeply held and opposing views. The Government has no plans to alter the applicable law at this time, but I will take your comments and views into account in any future review in this area.
Thank you for taking the time to bring this issue to my attention.
Yours sincerely
Hon Kerry Shine MP
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and
Minister Assisting the Premier in