This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/sep/25/schoolboy-drops-age-discrimination-complaint-against-same-sex-marriage-survey
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Schoolboy drops age discrimination complaint against same-sex marriage survey | Schoolboy drops age discrimination complaint against same-sex marriage survey |
| (4 months later) | |
| Cameron Warasta, 17, withdraws after Greens push to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote was rejected by parliament | |
| Paul Karp | |
| Mon 25 Sep 2017 04.38 BST | |
| Last modified on Mon 25 Sep 2017 05.10 BST | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| View more sharing options | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Close | |
| A Melbourne schoolboy has dropped his age discrimination complaint against the government’s decision to bar 16- and 17-year-olds from voting in the same-sex marriage postal survey but vowed to keep campaigning for a yes vote. | A Melbourne schoolboy has dropped his age discrimination complaint against the government’s decision to bar 16- and 17-year-olds from voting in the same-sex marriage postal survey but vowed to keep campaigning for a yes vote. |
| Cameron Warasta, 17, withdrew his complaint on Friday because parliament rejected a Greens push to allow enrolled 16- and 17-year-olds to vote. | Cameron Warasta, 17, withdrew his complaint on Friday because parliament rejected a Greens push to allow enrolled 16- and 17-year-olds to vote. |
| Warasta told Guardian Australia the Turnbull government may have stopped him voting in the survey but it “can’t stop me campaigning for a yes vote with everything I’ve got”. | Warasta told Guardian Australia the Turnbull government may have stopped him voting in the survey but it “can’t stop me campaigning for a yes vote with everything I’ve got”. |
| He lodged a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission arguing that 16- and 17-year-olds are able to enrol and the decision by acting special minister of state, Mathias Cormann, to exclude them from the survey of “enrolled Australians” was therefore discriminatory. | He lodged a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission arguing that 16- and 17-year-olds are able to enrol and the decision by acting special minister of state, Mathias Cormann, to exclude them from the survey of “enrolled Australians” was therefore discriminatory. |
| The complaint, lodged on 23 August, could have lead to a federal court case to argue for the right of about 50,000 Australians aged 16 and 17 on the electoral roll to vote. | The complaint, lodged on 23 August, could have lead to a federal court case to argue for the right of about 50,000 Australians aged 16 and 17 on the electoral roll to vote. |
| On 13 September parliament rushed through a bill to apply safeguards to the postal survey. During the debate, the Greens moved an amendment to extend the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds but it was defeated. | On 13 September parliament rushed through a bill to apply safeguards to the postal survey. During the debate, the Greens moved an amendment to extend the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds but it was defeated. |
| Warasta’s legal counsel advised that the new law and rejected amendment would make the age discrimination complaint much more difficult to argue, because parliament had considered and rejected extending the vote to enrolled 16- and 17-year-olds. | Warasta’s legal counsel advised that the new law and rejected amendment would make the age discrimination complaint much more difficult to argue, because parliament had considered and rejected extending the vote to enrolled 16- and 17-year-olds. |
| Guardian Australia understands Warasta contacted the Greens at the eleventh hour to warn the amendment could harm his case but it was too late to consider the issue and drop the amendment. | Guardian Australia understands Warasta contacted the Greens at the eleventh hour to warn the amendment could harm his case but it was too late to consider the issue and drop the amendment. |
| “I’m proud that I got to stand up, with the Inner City Legal Centre and the Grata Fund, to fight against young people’s exclusion from the marriage equality survey,” Warasta said. | “I’m proud that I got to stand up, with the Inner City Legal Centre and the Grata Fund, to fight against young people’s exclusion from the marriage equality survey,” Warasta said. |
| “Like almost all young people, I support marriage equality, and I couldn’t wait to support my friends and fellow students in the GLBTI community. | “Like almost all young people, I support marriage equality, and I couldn’t wait to support my friends and fellow students in the GLBTI community. |
| “Turnbull can stop me participating in the survey, but he can’t stop me campaigning for a yes vote with everything I’ve got. That’s what I’m going to do.” | “Turnbull can stop me participating in the survey, but he can’t stop me campaigning for a yes vote with everything I’ve got. That’s what I’m going to do.” |
| Daniel Richardson, a Community and Public Sector Union employee who organised the case in his own time, said it was “heartbreaking” the challenge had been scuttled. | Daniel Richardson, a Community and Public Sector Union employee who organised the case in his own time, said it was “heartbreaking” the challenge had been scuttled. |
| “Fighting for the rights of young, queer kids is a privilege, and I am deeply disappointed that 16- and 17-year-olds will not be able to express their incredibly strong support for marriage equality in the postal survey,” he said. | “Fighting for the rights of young, queer kids is a privilege, and I am deeply disappointed that 16- and 17-year-olds will not be able to express their incredibly strong support for marriage equality in the postal survey,” he said. |
| “The fight goes on. I know that Cameron and I will be doing everything we possibly can to win a yes vote.” | “The fight goes on. I know that Cameron and I will be doing everything we possibly can to win a yes vote.” |
| Same-sex marriage postal survey | |
| Marriage equality | |
| Melbourne | |
| Australian Greens | |
| Australian politics | |
| LGBT rights | |
| news | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Reuse this content |