The third engagement I took part in was the first one I planned, and a major factor in my choice of topic. I spoke to Assistant Minister Trevor Evans, who is my local Member of Parliament, and was heavily involved in the Same-Sex marriage bill. I spoke to him at his Brisbane office, and learnt a lot from the discussion.

We spoke about the same-sex marriage bill, and the process through which it was passed, as well as the opposition that Mr Evans faced from members of his constituency and political party. We discussed the legitimacy of a postal vote plebiscite and how involved the general population should be in decisions like this. We also spoke about the debate between LGBTQ rights and Religious freedom laws, and the government’s role in this debate. Interestingly, he expressed that opposite opinion to that of both my other contacts; that Australia would not benefit from a stricter rights legislation.

I learnt a lot from my discussion with Mr Evans that will help me to shape my final report. The information and perspectives that my three engagements have given me have been connected and overlapping, which should allow me to supplement them with research easily.