Pictured: Health Minister Lawrence Springborg Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC) will lose part of their funding as the new State Government will strip $2.6 million dollars out of QAHC's HIV & Men's sexual health budget. The new Qld health minister Lawrence Springborg told Anthony Gough of the Sunday Mail that the former AIDS Council had “lost it's way”. Mr. Springborg's decision is based on QAHCs performance and whilst new HIV rates had stabilised and decreased in most other Australian states Queensland HIV rates had doubled in the last decade. Mr Springborg is quoted in the Sunday Mail as saying, “I think it's a message that has failed and is far from appropriately delivered … it's absolutely been diluted. He also expressed concerns at the political lobbying that QAHC had engaged in recently regarding age of consent. Mr Springborg also stated, “If they want to do that fine, that's a matter for them, but Queensland Health is not giving $2.6 million a year for that message to get lost” … “This money is made available for health campaigns not advocacy”. Over recent years the Qld Labor Government has refused to release publicly the newly diagnosed HIV figures. Four of the most senior bureaucrats in Queensland Health's Communicable Disease unit responsible for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatments have resigned in the past few months. Mr Springborg has indicated that he will set up a new AIDS Council that will be held accountable for their performance in reducing the HIV rate here in Queensland. There is antidotal evidence that Queensland is currently experiencing a large increase in HIV contraction amongst young gay men, especially in some outer city and rural areas. Mr Springborg has indicated that he is serious about halting this sharp HIV increase but has not yet revealed what structure or organistaion will replace QAHC's HIV prevention unit. QAHC also has funding to promote the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Queenslanders. No decision has been made on other QAHC funding at this stage.
Perhaps QAHC's so called "failure" to reduce HIV transmissions as in other states could be because other state health departments and AIDS Councils have a better working relationship. The fact that senior public servants are resigning does not indicate that it is a productive workplace which engages with NGO's to provide services
"Mr Springborg has indicated that he is serious about halting this sharp HIV increase".
There is no proof that new campaigsn like "rip and roll" are not working.
This is thinly disguised polictical revenge spurned by the QLD LNP's powerful fundamentalist religious element led by LNP president and "committed Christian" Bruce Mciver.
Get ready for abstinance-only sex edudcation, kids.
The LNP's Christian soldiers are on the march.
Why don't u think about doctor pattern and others saying that u have to tell all friends and family about being HIV and then they don't know u anymore they block u on Facebook and other things so how about finding doctors that care spiritus doesn't even care about HIV people no matter where they live
Springborg is proving how completely homo-hateful and manic the LNP are by trying to excuse their de-funding of QAHC by highlighting that they had supported equal age of consent reform - as if that were not a morally sound principle for a community sexual health organisation to support. Since 2003 every other state and territory in Australia has had an equal age of consent (at 16 in NSW, NT, VC, WA and ACT, and at 17 in SA and Tas). Queensland's unequal age of consent was actually enacted by Goss Labor in November 1990 - in unexplained defiance of the PCJC Report's official Recommendation that the age of consent ought to be made equal at 16 for men and women, and regardless of their chosen sexual activity. For at least 12 years Beattie and Bligh Labor refused to act on their own specific Policy Platform commitment to ensure equity in laws relating to age of consent. So now we have a rabid LNP government which will likely ensure strict enforcement of the current law which defines that ANY person - straight or gay - aged under 18 (and their male or female partner) can be jailed for up to 14 years if they engage in anal intercourse - the conviction and penalty applies no matter how freely consent is given, and no matter how safely it is done. Springborg is attempting to destroy the reputation of QAHC by inferring that their support for an equal age of consent was in some way enabling paedophilia. An equal age of consent allows all youth, whether straight or gay, the best chance of being treated with equity and of receiving equal benefit and protection under the law - and the very chance of being appropriately informed about sexual health of caring enough their health to stay free of HIV and other STIs. An unequal age of consent entrenches homophobia and bullying and increases the risk of self harm and suicide. Labor and the LNP with both have blood on their hands for refusing to treat all Queensland youth as equals.
this has to be the most disturbing article I have seen in months !!! come on people stand up for your rights and freedoms so far won. this would seem to be the start of a slippery slope to put everyone back in the closets! QAHC has done a great deal of good work supporting the LGBTI people from a place of understanding and fighting for improvements, is everyone just going to lie down and let Newmans underlings remove the LGBTI people and replace them with his pro rightwing christian church thugs. Surely Qnews as a force that does dabble in political matters (unlike QAHC) should be getting up in arms about this and getting the word shouted to the rafters in support of the LGBTI people who form the majority of their readership and get behind saving QAHC from the political bullies ! or does the health of the LGBTI people not matter as much as sales???? Time is running out quickly , everyone express your feelings to Qnews and Mr Springborg by writing letters and emails and posts to them and let them know how going back to the dark ages will effect you, your friends, your kids and your community, write to all of them and write it now!
|
Together Civil Unions Still Exist. They have been renamed. |
Keep up to date with all the latest news, entertainment, community stuff and events by subscribing to our newsletter.
Click here to subscribe
