Anti-Trans State Election Candidate at Risk from FOI Request
14 November, 2022
City of Melton councillor Moira Deeming, who is contesting the Victorian state election with the Liberal Party, is embroiled in a freedom of information (FOI) battle over her use of her council email account to champion her anti-transgender campaign. Not-for-profit organisation Sex Work Law Reform Victoria Inc. submitted the FOI request, and despite her objections, the controversial Ms Deeming’s own council decided to release all 96 of her emails relating to transgender or sex work issues. The emails are yet to be released.
Following a hotly contested pre-selection against Ms Deeming, conservative long term Liberal Party member Fred Ackerman resigned from the party, saying her views on abortion and gender rights are “so extreme that they are not palatable”.
Ms Deeming is featured in Sex Work Law Reform Victoria’s state election guide, which ranks political parties and select candidates on their sex workers’ rights records.
“Sex workers’ rights are human rights. Sex Work Law Reform Victoria’s election guide is relevant to all voters, as a range of human rights are on the ballot this election – women’s reproductive rights, cost of housing, LGBTIQ rights, and issues of political integrity,” says Lisa Dallimore, President of Sex Work Law Reform Victoria (SWLRV).
SWLRV’s election guide, which relies on voting records and political speeches, rates Labor and Fiona Patten’s Reason Party as ‘Excellent’, with the Liberal and National parties rating ‘Poor’ when it comes to sex workers’ rights. Christian conservative candidate Moira Deeming is rated ‘Terrible’.
All political parties and candidates referred to in the guide were given the chance to make any corrections.
See Sex Work Law Reform Victoria’s election guide to political parties here:
Sex Work Law Reform Victoria’s election guide to Moira Deeming and some other candidates:
https://sexworklawreformvictoria.org.au/the-best-and-worst-political-candidates/
For Comment:
Matthew Roberts
Sex Work Law Reform Victoria Inc.
contact@swlrv.org.au
Sex Work Law Reform Victoria is a not-for-profit sex workers’ rights organisation led by Victorian sex workers. Founded in 2018, the organisation advocates to all levels of government regarding the legal rights of sex workers in Victoria. Sex Work Law Reform Victoria has put sex workers’ rights on the political agenda in Victoria, paving the way for the passage of the Sex Work Decriminalisation Act 2022 (Vic).