New Australian Greens MP for Brisbane Stephen Bates says he expects that the new Parliament will create an LGBTIQA+ human rights commissioner role, even after the government voted down his attempts to establish one last week.
In an interview with Crikey about the first two sitting weeks of the 47th Parliament, the newly minted member spoke about his early efforts to accomplish his agenda, being in the Greens partyroom during important inter-party climate negotiations, and adjusting to the lifestyle of a federal politician.
As the Greens’ LGBTIQA+ spokesman, Bates proposed an amendment to the Albanese government’s Australian Human Rights Commission Legislation Amendment (Selection and Appointment) Bill 2022 in the House of Representatives to introduce an LGBTQI commissioner at the Human Rights Commission.
The amendment was defeated 118-11; both Labor and Liberal MPs voted against it. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said it was not the way to establish such a role, but promised “there will no doubt be further discussion on this proposal”.
Bates said that he was disappointed by the government’s response, as well as its decision to vote against establishing a Senate inquiry into the role: “I would talk to their LGBTQIA+ spokesperson if they had one … I’m still waiting to hear what the appropriate vehicle is.”
Reflecting on the process, he said he worked closely with independents on the crossbench while drafting the amendment. Zoe Daniel, Monique Ryan, Allegra Spender and Zali Steggall all voted for the amendment. Bates said David Pocock’s office was involved too.
“This was one of the first times we got to work together. They were supportive of it,” he said.
Bates said his experiences of Parliament have met his expectations so far. He described 14-hour days in the Senate, buttressed between intense partyroom sessions, media interviews, meeting with various groups, and preparation.
“My goal for the next sitting week is to schedule in time to eat,” he joked.
With the Greens’ support crucial to the government passing anything through the Senate, all eyes were on the party last week during negotiations over Albanese’s promised climate bill. Bates said that power and pressure rest with environment spokesman Greens Leader Adam Bandt when it comes to climate policy discussion.
“He explains what it’s like before we come to a position,” Bates said of the Greens’ partyroom decisions, which are conducted using a consensus decision-making model.
Bates’ maiden speech during the first sitting week made headlines around the world for telling his story as a young, gay retail worker who became a politician. By his telling, his office was inundated with messages of support after his speech, including from politicians from as far away as Northern Ireland and Canada. Bates had initially written a draft a few days prior, but tore it up and started again the night before.
“You’re sort of deciding how you want to be remembered forever from your first speech,” he said. “It was a full-circle moment, going from scared to come out to announcing it to the entire country. It was actually a healing moment, saying it out loud.”
He’s settling into the routine of being a professional politician. He’s hired all his staff. He stays in a hotel not far from Parliament that’s popular with other MPs (“we have chats in the elevator”). He’s settled into a sitting week routine.
After laughing about how he understands how people might get sucked into the “Canberra bubble”, Bates said he’s energised by his first few weeks on the job, beaming about his office helping out constituents access services and his first 90-second speech in Parliament (about flightpath noise, one of his major pre-election issues).
“No regrets that this is my life now,” Bates said.
