Crossbench MPs are demanding an urgent explanation from the Albanese government why it has removed new topics on sexuality and gender diversity from the next census – a decision that sparked “deep concern and disappointment” at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
The move was confirmed by Deputy Treasurer Andrew Leigh on Sunday and comes more than a year after the Australian Bureau of Statistics expressed regret at the burden on the LGBTQ+ community caused by their exclusion from the census.
Independent MP for Wentworth Allegra Spender wrote to Leigh in a letter on Tuesday saying she was “appalled” by the announcement and urged him to retract it.
“Without appropriate data on gender identity, sexual orientation and variations in sex characteristics, it is impossible to design policies that properly support this community and ensure appropriate services in areas such as health and wellbeing,” Spender wrote, later telling Guardian Australia that the proposed new topics were a “complete no-brainer”.
Another letter from the independent MP calling on Leigh to change the government’s decision is likely to be supported by Spender’s independent colleagues Monique Ryan, Kate Chaney and Sophie Scamps, as well as Australian Capital Territory independent Senator David Pocock.
Consultations began in early 2023 and the ABS finalised its proposed new topics in December 2023.
Any changes to the issues included in the census must be put to Parliament and can be rejected by a vote in both houses. In the Senate, Labor would need the support of independent MPs or the Coalition.
The new test questions proposed by the ABS would have related to gender, sexual orientation and variations in sex characteristics, while other questions would have focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural identity and reasons for moving in the past 12 months.
Other questions on ancestry and religious affiliation should have been adjusted to capture more data.
On Monday, ABS chief statistician David Gruen announced that plans to test the new subjects had been scrapped after the federal government informed the agency of its decision on Friday.
“The test would have covered topics that the government has now decided will not be included in the 2026 census,” Gruen said.
“The ABS will adapt testing plans in light of this announcement to best prepare us for a successful census – one that is safe, secure and easy to administer.”
Leigh’s office was contacted for a more detailed explanation, but there was no response.
Pocock said he was “completely baffled” by the decision, as ABS had done much of the consulting work and drafted new exam questions.
“This decision exacerbates the pain already felt by many Australians in the LGBTI community following the last census and I simply do not understand why the government is raising expectations only to disappoint them,” he said.
Scamps, who was a GP before his election in 2022, said good data was critical for health and service planning.
“We would all benefit from more accurate data,” she said.
Liz Allen, a demography expert at the Australian National University, said omitting such questions meant Australia was “flying blind” when it came to the health and social impacts for Australians with the LGBTQ community.
“We have left the outdated constructs of the census miles behind and so the census no longer reflects the way we live our lives, who we are, how we live, the way we live our lives,” she said.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, which organises the popular annual parade, said it was “deeply concerned and disappointed” by the announcement.
“Without comprehensive and inclusive data, the full diversity of our community remains invisible and marginalized, hampering efforts to address the specific challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ people in Australia,” a spokesperson said.
Nicky Bath, chief executive of LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, said the lack of population-level data on LGBTQ+ people in Australia had been raised many times in meetings, adding that the government’s decision not to provide reasons for the decision was “incomprehensible”.
“We keep going around in circles on the same issues, and it always comes back to the need for data. Four simple questions in the 2026 census can solve this problem,” Bath said.
“We need a formal announcement with a clear explanation of why this decision has been made.”
The NSW branch of Rainbow Labor, a grassroots network of LGBTQ+ Labor members, called on the Albanese government to reverse the decision in line with its federal agenda.
“We believe that the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ people in the census is not controversial,” the organizers said in a statement.
“The exclusion of LGBTQI+ Australians from national census data is demeaning and alienating and reinforces the sense of otherness felt by members of our community. This is an opportunity for the Federal Government to promote and celebrate the diversity of this country and the LGBTIQ+ community.”
