Liberal MP makes gay sex visit
By Kate Lahey
April 20, 2007
VICTORIAN Liberal MP Bruce Atkinson was right to visit a gay venue to research risky behaviour that could be spreading HIV, Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu said today.
Mr Atkinson told Parliament this week he was concerned about the Government's failure to advertise and educate Victorians about HIV transmission, particularly amid reports of men allegedly deliberately infecting others.
Mr Atkinson said he was approached by someone concerned about particular gay venues in Melbourne.
“Thinking that I was being told an exaggerated version of what was going on, I actually went to the venue,†Mr Atkinson told the Upper House.
“I was horrified. There were many men – 50 or 60 men, I could not count them because the place was dark – who were involved with multiple partners on multiple occasions, as I understand because I did not stay very long, in anonymous sexual encounters involving very high risk behaviour.â€
Mr Atkinson said he was concerned many of those men would go home to wives or partners and further increase the risk to public health.
He said venue operators provided condoms but the men's behaviour would have put them at risk of infection.
Mr Baillieu applauded Mr Atkinson's effort to draw attention to the situation.
“I think Bruce is concerned, understandably at rising HIV rates in Victoria,†he said today.
“Our HIV rates in Victoria are now back to levels around 1997, the Government's approach has been to put a stop on advertising which was going to deal with this issue again and I think Bruce is rightly drawing attention to that.â€
Victorian Health Minister Bronwyn Pike would not comment today on Mr Atkinson's research methods.
“That's really a matter for him, that's his choice,†she said.
But she defended the government's efforts to stop the spread of HIV.
“There's a lot of research that the Government funds into the activities of people because we want to make sure that we do everything to protect the community from the potential spread of HIV,†Ms Pike said.
“So we're already engaging in a lot of research, we fund a considerable amount of research and we spend nearly $30 million a year in this area.â€
Ms Pike faced pressure to resign this month over the failure of the Department of Human Services to warn police of a man accused of spreading HIV.
She has since sacked chief health officer Robert Hall for failing to communicate such matters to her.