Independent MP Dr Monique Ryan has announced she will not support Liberal leader Angus Taylor’s plan to change Australia’s sex discrimination legislation.
In a statement posted online, Dr Ryan said laws that make it illegal to discriminate against people on the basis of gender identity must remain in place.
Taylor has said he would introduce legislation to amend the Sex Discrimination Act following a Federal Court decision that upheld and expanded a finding of discrimination against transgender woman Roxanne Tickle. He has described changes to the legislation as a top priority for a future Coalition government.
Coalition MP Alison Penfold has vowed to introduce a private member’s bill immediately, while One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has also indicated she would bring forward similar legislation at the earliest opportunity.
Dr Ryan said the Liberal leader was more interested in “political point scoring” than evidence-based policymaking.
“That law exists for good reason: transgender Australians face disproportionate rates of discrimination, harassment, and harm to their mental health and wellbeing,” Dr Ryan said.
“I am concerned by the Opposition Leader’s immediate response, which was to announce he would amend the Sex Discrimination Act to insert a definition of biological sex.
“This is not a measured legal response to a court decision. It is a political intervention in a complex area of law that would strip protections from vulnerable Australians,” she said.
