One Nation’s South Australian leader, Cory Bernardi, has failed in his attempt to bring in a ban on puberty blockers in the treatment of gender dysphoria.
The One Nation bill got support from Family First and the Liberals, but Labor and The Greens blocked its passage. The bill was defeated 11 votes to 8 in the Legislative council.
Proponents of the bill argued that South Australia should follow in the steps of the United Kingdom’s Cass Review which brought a ban on cross sex hormones and puberty blockers for people under the age of 18, while also citing the Queensland government’s ban on medical gender affirming care.
“This is a question about the protection of children.” said Family First member Sarah Game. “Australia is falling behind the global rethink on youth gender medicine. It is about what standard of evidence we should demand before allowing medical interventions that can profoundly affect a child’s developing body. Something profound is happening in medicine around the world.”
Liberal MP Nicola Cetofanto took a similar view.
“The United Kingdom has significantly changed its model of care and restricted the routine use of puberty blockers for gender dysphoria in minors. Other European countries, including Sweden, Finland, and Norwood, have moved towards more cautious approaches.”
The Greens’ leader Robert Simms spoke out strongly against the bill.
“The proponents of this bill claim that it protects children, but we know that in fact it does the opposite. This bill would strip away access to puberty blockers for transgender youth, a treatment that has been used safely here in South Australia for decades, first for children with precocious puberty, and for the past 25 years for trans adolescents under careful medical supervision.
“Nothing has changed,” Simms said. “Other than the fact that we now have One Nation members in this chamber that are seeking to whip up fear and division.”
Simms urged proponents of the bill to stop brining the issue before parliament if the bill was knocked back this again, noting that similar moves had been rejected in the past.
“I urge them to send this bill to the shredder where it belongs. And I make the same point in relation to the honorable Sarah Games efforts to try and reventilate this issue with some inquiry.”
Earlier in the day Sarah Game put forward an proposal for a parliamentary inquiry into transgender health care.
“If Britain can reconsider, if Finland can reconsider, if Sweden can reconsider, if New Zealand can examine its evidence, and if Queensland can change course, why can’t South Australia hold an inquiry?” Game had asked the chamber.
“Call psychiatrists. Call psychologists. Call researchers. Call clinicians who support gender-affirming care. Call clinicians who question it. Call parents with different experiences. Call detransitioners. Put the evidence before Parliament.” Game demanded.
While the bill was defeated, a decision on Game’s call for an inquiry was pushed off to a later date.
