The government's pair of about-faces on the census has left residual frustration in its ranks.
When the government sent out a Sunday morning whisper that it would not add new questions to the 2026 census, it was prepared for at least some backlash.
Behind closed doors, Labor frontbenchers and backbenchers were lobbying the prime minister to reconsider. That language jarred with the fact that Labor's national platform endorsed new census questions, and that Labor MPs had criticised the Morrison government when it quashed similar questions in the 2021 census.Labor tried to snip off a loose thread this week, left hanging from the Coalition era. Instead, it ripped a bigger hole for itself with a community it would normally hope to have onside.
When the ABS last appeared at Senate estimates in June, the Coalition did not mention the issue, even though the consideration of new questions was already a matter a public record.
Federal Government Census Sexuality
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How the PM’s captain’s call to stop a culture war blew up in his faceAn early Sunday morning message to Labor MPs about a gender and sexuality question in the 2026 census opened up a disastrous political week for the government.
Read more »
How the PM’s captain’s call to stop a culture war blew up in his faceAn early Sunday morning message to Labor MPs about a gender and sexuality question in the 2026 census opened up a disastrous political week for the government.
Read more »
How the PM’s captain’s call to stop a culture war blew up in his faceAn early Sunday morning message to Labor MPs about a gender and sexuality question in the 2026 census opened up a disastrous political week for the government.
Read more »
US presidential election: This is how Trump can regain the leadSeasoned political observers warn it’s too early to assume the Democrats will maintain the momentum gained since Kamala Harris became the presumed nominee.
Read more »
PM, you cannot create unity from divisionAge readers respond to the government’s exclusion of LGBTIQ from census.
Read more »
Welcome King Charles, farewell the republic as Albanese casts aside lost causesThe prime minister's reshuffle tells us much about political realities — and political problems.
Read more »