Dear Ms Palmer,
As Tasmanian Minister for Women, I write to you to express my concern over the recent treatment of Councillor Louise Elliott, Hobart City Council.
I have been watching Australian society change very quickly over the last few years. Not that long ago, I felt safe as a woman to offer my opinion on all sorts of issues. I was living in a society where my views were listened to. I was able to get a good education and apply fairly for jobs, and I have been respected for my skills and knowledge (quite unlike the experience of women a generation or two ago). But the tide is turning and it’s getting scary out there. In 2023, a woman cannot express her views publicly without fear of being bullied and attacked. The rights of women are being trampled and we need strong leaders like yourself to stop this from happening.
I listened to the speech that Cr Elliott gave in February 2023, regarding the need for “all gender” communal bathrooms in council buildings. I found the content of her speech to be very sensible and reasonable, and her tone was nothing but respectful. I was expecting it to be more polarising given the topic and the reaction she has received as a result, but to be honest, it was a little boring. She wasn’t calling to exterminate all transgender people from society, she wasn’t screaming insults at people who disagreed with her, she didn’t deny that transgender people exist. Quite the opposite in fact – she was just offering a reasonable and practical solution.
As Minister for Women, I’m sure you understand the importance of biological women having access to single sex spaces, for their physical safety and dignity. There was no suggestion from Cr Elliott that transgender people should not be able to access council bathrooms and changerooms – of course all Australians deserve access to such facilities. She was purely suggesting a fairly obvious solution to the issue at hand. A solution which would benefit transgender people without impacting on the rights of women and children – it’s a no brainer, a win-win.
Unfortunately for Cr Elliott, there has been some very negative fallout from her speech and from where I sit, it’s been entirely unfair. While I understand that it must be difficult for the council to take all constituent needs into account when making policy decisions, particularly when there are conflicting demands at play, I don’t think it’s reasonable to remove the rights of one group to appease the wishes of another group (especially when doing so may be detrimental to people in that group). And it is certainly not reasonable to treat a respected member of council in the way she’s been treated. I urge you to intervene in this matter, restore professional conduct in the Hobart City Council, and provide strong advocacy for women and children in Tasmania.
Thank you for your time,