Questions about sexuality will be included in the 2026 Australian census, the prime minister says, following a backlash over its initial omission.
Anthony Albanese said the Australian Bureau of Statistics is developing a question about sexuality for the national snapshot.
“They’re going to test for a new question, one question about sexuality, sexual preference,” he told ABC Radio on Friday.
“They’ll be testing, making sure as well that people will have the option of not answering it.”
The prime minister denied the government had been forced to back down from omitting questions on sexuality in the census.
Earlier, Liberal MP Bridget Archer said it was frustrating Labor had created controversy over the issue.
Labor frontbenchers had said the government pulled plans to add the question to avoid a “divisive” and “nasty” fight despite the party pledging to count the queer community in its 2023 national platform.
“Because this debate that we’re having now is not nasty and divisive?” Ms Archer asked sarcastically on ABC radio on Friday.
“I don’t think anybody was thinking about it, talking about it, concerned about it, until the government told them they should be concerned in some way by deciding not to go ahead with it.
The question only added to data, Ms Archer said, noting there were always stories about how many Australians put their religion as “Jedi” from Star Wars after each national snapshot.
“Do we need to know? People might ask, but we do collect information and that statistical population information is used in all sorts of ways,” she said.
“It’s not in any way controversial. There shouldn’t be any kind of … moral value or something attached to it.
“The government has actually created a controversy where there’s none.”
ACT Labor Chief Minister Andrew Barr had also expressed disappointment.
Mr Barr, a gay man, said “there has rightly been a strong focus on the value of data collection to inform evidence-based policies and service delivery”.
Almost 70 organisations that support LGBTQI communities signed a statement calling for federal Labor to reverse its decision.
Firebrand conservatives also came out saying they didn’t care about the question.
“Put it in or put it out it doesn’t matter to me,” Nationals senator Ross Cadell told AAP.
His party room colleague Keith Pitt said, “(we) need to focus on an actual crisis”.
Ex-Liberal senator turned independent Gerard Rennick said while he didn’t care, the question wasn’t relevant “as it’s personal”.
“But in some respects, I’d be curious to know the percentages,” he added.
Some Labor backbenchers had broken ranks with their leadership.
Josh Burns, Peter Khalil, Alicia Payne and assistant health minister Ged Kearney argue the government should reverse the decision and count LGBTQI people.
The four face challenges from the more progressive Greens, which have named their seats as targets in the upcoming federal election.
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