The reform of laws against gay sex in Tasmania was discussed for two hours in Tasmanian Parliament on Wednesday. Here is the report from Friday's paper on the state of play of gay law reform in Tasmania. OUTRAGE AS STATE REFUSES TO BUDGE ON LAW REFORM Reprinted without permission from the Hobart Mercury, 8/4/94 Gay activists are anxiously awaiting the decision of the United Nations human rights committee on whether Tasmania's gay laws contravene international human rights conventions. Yesterday there was a deluge of angry reaction to the decision of the Parliamentary Liberal Party to reject homosexual law reform. Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesman Rodney Croome said the committee, meeting in New York, had made its decision but would not make it public for a few days. He slammed the Government for failing to allow its memebers a conscience vote on the issue. He said contrary to Attorney-General Ron Cornish's view that most Tasmanians opposed gay law reform, the latest opinion polls showed almost 60 per cent of Tasmanians supported reform. Mr Cornish said he believed the decision not to change the law was right. "Tasmania is a nice quite Chirstian-based place," Mr Cornish said. "They believe in the Bible and don't like changes to the code." Mr Cornish said that the UN Human Rights committee had no legal standing in Tasmania and he did not believe the Federal Government would legislate to override the state criminal code. Federal Justice Minister Duncan Kerr said the Commonwealth would wait for the UN decision before taking any action on the issue. Opposition spokeswoman on social justice Fran Bladel said the State Government would be hypocritical if it introduced anti=discrimination legislation without bringing in gay law reform. Tasmanian Green Gerry Bates said that as the laws against homosexual acts would remain, then the police had an obligation to enforce them. He hoped the Commonwealth had the guts to take on the Tasmanian Government over the laws.