Silverwater Correctional Centre Transsexual Officer
Page: 2819
The Hon. JAN BURNSWOODS [10.25 p.m.]: On 26 June the Hon. John Ryan asked the Minister for Justice a question about an officer at Silverwater Correctional Centre. Following the question and the media attention it engendered, the officer in question has taken leave to deal with emotional trauma. Since last Friday the officer has required substantial counselling and support. In his question the Hon. John Ryan referred to "a male officer who identified himself as a transvestite". He was totally wrong. A transvestite—the more appropriate terminology is "cross-dresser"—is a person who derives sexual pleasure from wearing the clothes of the opposite sex. However, the person referred to in the question is transgender, which is defined in the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 as:
A person of one sex who:
identifies as a member of the opposite sex by living, or seeking to live, as a member of the opposite sex, or
has identified as a member of the opposite sex by living as a member of the opposite sex, or
being of indeterminate sex, identifies as a member of a particular sex by living as a member of that sex.
I am pleased that, in accordance with anti-discrimination legislation, the Department of Corrective Services is supporting the officer's transition in the workplace. By all accounts, the Department of Corrective Services was appropriately and effectively managing the officer's transition in the workplace. The officer has enjoyed the support of the majority of supervisors and co-workers. The officer was acting within her rights under the law. I understand that senior officers in the Department of Corrective Services are consulting all relevant employees to ensure that any legitimate concerns can be aired and effectively addressed. I remind the honourable member who asked the question that government agencies become concerned about how employees choose to spend their time outside working hours only if the activity is illegal or impinges on the effective performance of their duties at work. In this case it has done neither. The Hon. John Ryan's comments were abusive and discriminatory.
The Hon. Greg Pearce: Point of order.
The Hon. JAN BURNSWOODS: I do not wish to repeat—
The Hon. Greg Pearce: Point of order.
The Hon. JAN BURNSWOODS: —inappropriate remarks on underwear.
The Hon. Greg Pearce: Point of order.
The DEPUTY-PRESIDENT (The Hon. Amanda Fazio):Order! The Hon. Greg Pearce—
The Hon. Greg Pearce: I am raising a point of order
The DEPUTY-PRESIDENT (The Hon. Amanda Fazio): Order! It is not your role—
The Hon. Greg Pearce: I am entitled to raise a point of order. She is supposed to sit down. I draw attention to the standing orders.
The DEPUTY-PRESIDENT (The Hon. Amanda Fazio): Order! Both members will sit down. I will have the Hon. Greg Pearce removed from the Chamber if he persists. He will show due respect for the Chair and be quiet while I speak. It is not the Hon. Greg Pearce's role to tell other members to sit down. He sought to take a point of order, and he should wait until I give him the call. Do you have a point of order?
The Hon. Greg Pearce: Yes, I do, thank you.
The DEPUTY-PRESIDENT (The Hon. Amanda Fazio): Proceed.
The Hon. Greg Pearce: I acknowledge your correction of me on this occasion. I am sorry that I was perhaps a little quick in suggesting that the member sit down. As you know, and you have rightly pointed out—I thank you for that—it is your role to ensure the proper conduct of the House.
The DEPUTY-PRESIDENT (The Hon. Amanda Fazio): Order! What is the point of order?
The Hon. Greg Pearce: The member should have sat down when I rose to take my point of order.
The DEPUTY-PRESIDENT (The Hon. Amanda Fazio): Order! What is your point of order?
The Hon. Greg Pearce: Instead, she continued with her speech and continued to say what I wanted to take the point on.
The DEPUTY-PRESIDENT (The Hon. Amanda Fazio): Order! Do you have a point of order? If so, please proceed to it.
The Hon. Greg Pearce: Thank you. My point of order, which I wanted to address straight away but was not able to because the member continued to flout the standing orders by continuing to abuse and make imputations against the Hon. John Ryan in his absence.
The DEPUTY-PRESIDENT (The Hon. Amanda Fazio): Order! What is the point of order?
The Hon. Greg Pearce: I refer you to Standing Order 81. On occasions honourable members refer to standing orders that are not relevant. Indeed, I recall one occasion late last year when you took a point of order and, I think, referred to Standing Order 170 when you meant Standing Order 81. You understand the issue I am raising.
The DEPUTY-PRESIDENT (The Hon. Amanda Fazio):Order! I ask the Hon. Jan Burnswoods to bear in mind the relevant standing order when making her speech. The honourable member may continue.
The Hon. JAN BURNSWOODS: I was about to quote the Hon. John Ryan when he spoke to the amendment to the anti-discrimination legislation in this House on 4 June 1996. In relation to the difficulties that transgender people face, he said that no-one could endorse that discrimination. So, in his recent behaviour, the Hon. John Ryan has gone from being a denouncer of discrimination to being a perpetrator of discrimination. I call on him to apologise to this officer and to the other prison officers that he has recently scurrilously defamed in this House. [Time expired.]