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[–]Doobeedoo661[S] 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Article is behind a paywall.

A Tasmanian Liberal senator and her supporters have been warned they could be prosecuted for “insulting” the state’s anti-discrimination commissioner in a rapidly escalating war over free speech in the transgender debate. Equal Opportunity Tasmania, in an email sent to Claire Chandler and obtained by The Australian, suggests she could face prosecution for “hindering” and “insulting” the anti-discrimin­ation commissioner. The row followed Anti-­Discrimination Commissioner Sarah Bolt’s decision to accept a complaint against Senator Chandler over a statement –— emailed to a constituent –– that read: “Women’s sport, women’s toilets and women’s changing rooms are designed for the female sex and should remain that way.”

Senator Chandler, who has been outspoken on the issue since her election to federal parliament in 2019, has publicly called on the commissioner to dismiss the complaint, and on Wednesday last week emailed a letter to Ms Bolt saying she would not withdraw or amend her statement. Senator Chandler said about 20 minutes after emailing that letter, an Equal Opportunity Tasmania investigation and conciliation officer emailed her, supplying “a sample of emails that the commissioner has received since your public statements … about the complaint”.

“Legal action can be taken against any person who uses insulting language towards any person exercising any power under the Anti-Discrimination Act,” the email said. It warned that those who “hinder” or “use insulting language” against the commissioner could be fined.

Senator Chandler told The Australian the threat was “extraordinary” and she would not rule out a complaint to the Senate privileges committee alleging interference with her work as a ­parliamentarian. “The clear implication here is that they don’t only want me to stop speaking about this issue more broadly, they also want me to tell other Australians to do the same,” Senator Chandler said. “I’m simply not going to do that. There are genuine concerns at play here around my ability to undertake my role as a member of parliament and be able to ­discuss public policy issues with constituents. “Even more so, there’s a concern that constituents are not going to be able to contact their MPs inquiring as to their views and expect an honest response.”

Ms Bolt did not respond to a request for comment, her office citing “confidentiality provisions” in the state’s anti-discrimination act.

The complaint against Senator Chandler was made by a constituent who emailed her seeking a further explanation of her views, following an opinion piece she penned for Hobart’s The Mercury newspaper. The constituent then complained about the article and the senator’s emailed explanation.

Ms Bolt rejected the complaint related to the article but accepted the component related to the email. Ms Bolt said Senator Chandler’s comments in the email were “problematic … a reasonable person is likely to anticipate a person who is a member of the LGBTIQ+ and gender diverse community would be humiliated, intimidated, offended and insulted,” she said in accepting the complaint. Senator Chandler said she would consider all legal options if the complaint was not dropped.

[–]TurtleFuzz 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

So bonkers. Stating that women's bathrooms should be for the female sex only is "insulting language". I hope Senator Chandler stays strong, and more people support her.