A new question will likely appear on the next census to include LGBTIQ+ Australians in the national survey, the Prime Minister has told ABC Radio.
Anthony Albanese told the radio show this morning that it was a “commonsense position” to include the question.
“We’ve been talking with the Australian Bureau of Statistics and they are going to test for a new question, one on sexuality,” Albanese said.
“There will [be a question] as long as the testing goes well.”
READ MORE: Soaring temperatures, high winds prompt high fire danger warning for Sydney
The Labor Government faced backlash from LGBTQI+ groups earlier this week after Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles told journalists on Wednesday that the government would not be asking about sexual orientation in the 2026 questionnaire.
CEO of LGBTIQ+ Health Australia Nicky Bath said the government owed its gay and queer citizens an explanation as to why they won’t be included in the census.
“The government has provided no public explanation of its decision, which has been made without adequate transparency and accountability,” Bath said on Wednesday.
It also caused a revolt from inside the Labor Party, with six MP’s speaking out against the decision.
READ MORE: Maori King Tūheitia dies in New Zealand
Today, the Prime Minister did not say his government had backflipped on the decision, but rather that he had not been asked about the question, while several ministers had confirmed it.
Albanese has just returned back from Tonga, where he attended the Pacific Islands Forum.
Nine.com.au has reached out to the Prime Minister’s office for comment.
links to content on ABC
9News
