‘We have listened’: gender identity question added to Australia’s 2026 census after federal government backflip

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says LGBTQ+ community will count' in survey with new topic covering sexual orientation and gender to be included

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The government is adding a second new question to the 2026 census, restoring a proposed question on gender identity along with one on sexuality after a backlash over its initial decision to dump both.

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, revealed on Sunday that the government had advised the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) that a new single topic on gender and sexual orientation would be included in the next census, likely to include two questions, not just one.

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