Wednesday, 4 February 2026

 Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:32): I rise to speak on budget paper 3 of the 2025–26 budget papers, specifically the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing output initiatives and in particular the output initiative of LGBTIQA+ equality policy and programs.

This budget, like many previous budgets, is one that is seen as further evidence and proof of the Allan government’s continued support for Victoria’s vibrant and strong LGBTIQA+ community. In particular we saw initiatives around QHub expanding on-site mental health and wellbeing services to where people need them in the western Victoria region, including in Ballarat and Geelong. We have also seen the extension of the trans and gender-diverse peer support program as well, which I know many advocates in the community were very thrilled to see continue because it is a very, very important piece of work that makes a real and substantial difference to people’s lives.

This work of course builds off this government’s long and proud history in standing up and defending our state’s LGBTIQA+ community from hateful attacks from wherever they may come from, including banning conversion therapy laws quite some time ago now. We are also the first and still only jurisdiction in the nation that has a dedicated Minister for Equality, a role which is now being very ably filled by Vicki Ward. We also have Australia’s first and still only LGBTIQA+ commissioner, and in this respect Joe Ball is undertaking an absolutely fantastic job and acquitting his responsibilities extremely well.

This government of course was also very proud last year to successfully legislate reformed anti-vilification laws, giving people with diverse genders and sexual orientations representation in those laws and giving them that protection as well, which is something that I know many, many advocates in the community have been campaigning for for an extraordinary amount of time – in excess of 20 years. I do want to make brief note of and acknowledge Jamie Gardiner for his extensive advocacy in this space. It is great to see these laws, albeit opposed by the opposition, now coming into effect in Victoria.

A few weeks ago I had the great privilege of representing minister Vicki Ward at the opening at the carnival for Midsumma. Midsumma is an annual festival that many members will be very familiar with. It is community run and community driven and does an outstanding job, you have to say. It is not just Carnival day and the Pride march, there are events right across the state – in fact continuing right as we speak – for another few days yet before the festival wraps up this Sunday, 8 February. It was a privilege to be there on Carnival day along with many other colleagues from this place, from all different parties, and great to be meeting with and talking to people, especially those for whom this was the first carnival, the first time they felt safe to come out and be part of it. There was lots of entertainment and shows – you could say ‘wig snatch’, maybe ‘mic-snatch’, depending on what you are reading – but fundamentally it was a terrific, terrific event and great to see the community out in force.

We also of course had Pride march just a few days ago. It was great to once again join with my colleagues from the Labor Party, and I know many others from this place were there on the day as well to take part in that march and the show of love and solidarity amongst the community down in St Kilda with people from our Victorian community coming from all corners of the state in unity. It was great to have some milder weather this year compared to previous years – and certainly very welcome before a busy sitting week, because the last thing you want is to be red with sunburn – but it was a great day to be there. We were also joined by Mitch Brown, who of course made history last year when he came out as bisexual – the very first former AFL player to come out. He told a few of us how special it was; he had been to Pride march and watched it from the sidelines many times before, but this was the first year he was able to fully embrace it and be himself, and how wonderful that was.

There is ongoing discussion, and I understand that the organisers have undertaken a two-year trial of uniforms in relation to police and other emergency services workers. I myself have had contact with many constituents in my region, including one paramedic who works in the Seaford Ambulance Victoria branch. He was very distressed as he feels he cannot march in uniform in Pride and be proud of who he is, and for the sake of constituents such as him and others, I hope that he will be able to again sometime very soon.