Peter Dutton’s Ban On ‘LGBT+ Morning Teas’ Is Over
Former Defence Minister Peter Dutton caused controversy last year when he placed a ban on defence staff celebrating diversity and cultural causes such as LGBT+ morning teas, reports ABC News.
On Tuesday, August 23, the new Defence Secretary Greg Moriarty and Defence Chief General Angus Campbell issued a notice that this policy is to be scrapped.
“PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS BE OUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET”
The LGBT+ morning teas weren’t the only staff event to be banned under Dutton’s policy. With the new Defence Minister Richard Marles lifting this ban, those working in Defence will be able to celebrate R U Okay Day coming up on the second Thursday of September.
The aforementioned notice was delivered via a staff directive and says, “People will always be our most important asset, and Defence is focused on building inclusive and capable teams, underpinned by our unified Values and Behaviours,” reports ABC News.
Former Defence Minister Peter Dutton was questioned last year over his decision to ban the morning teas and celebrations of IDAHOBIT to which he says, “I will not tolerate discrimination, but we are not pursuing a woke agenda.” The reasoning was that Defence was meant to remain impartial and reflective of the Australian people and to honour such events would be considered a distraction from their primary duties.
The memo released on Tuesday continues by saying, “We recognise a diverse workforce supported by an inclusive culture is essential to Defence’s capability and effectiveness. We look forward to working with all of you to build capability through fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce to deliver on Defence’s mission.”
