Western Australian Health Minister Roger Cook has confirmed to OUTinPerth that he has asked the WA Health Department to review the waiting times for gay and bisexual men to donate blood. “The McGowan Government pursues excellence in care across all treatment disciplines, and for all members of the community. I have asked the Department of […]
Western Australia’s Health Minister, Roger Cook, says surrogacy reform is still on the agenda for the McGowan government despite setbacks. In 2019 discussions over the bill saw fiery debates in the state’s lower house, but when the legislation moved to the upper house Liberal MP Nick Goiran delivered a filibuster speech that dragged on for […]
Introduction of Western Australia’s new surrogacy laws may have been dealt another blow with legal advice suggesting the proposed legislation could be discriminatory towards women. Health Minister Roger Cook (pictured) has argued that the current laws need to be changed because they are discriminatory towards male same-sex couples and single men. Cook has argued that […]
The WA Greens are urging the state government to ban LGBTI+ conversion therapy following an announcement by Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday. Andrews was joined by Minister for Equality Martin Foley and Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos at Melbourne’s Midsumma Pride March, where he revealed the Victorian Government’s plan to prohibit LGBTI+ conversion practices […]
Ahead of the parliamentary debate on the McGowan government’s bill, that would allow single men and gay men to access altruistic surrogacy, the Australian Christian Lobby has argued that the laws need to move in the opposite direction and ban all single people from accessing surrogacy. Currently altruistic surrogacy can only legally be accessed by […]
Tasmania’s Shadow Health Minister has voiced her support for banning gay conversion therapy practices. Sarah Lovell MLC added her name to a petition calling for the practice to be banned, and called on Tasmania’s Liberal government lead by Will Hodgman to show it’s support too. “In a supposedly enlightened and tolerant Australia, it’s difficult to […]
Health Minister Roger Cook has responded to concerns raised by members of the LGBTIQ+ community regarding the speed at which the state’s LGBTIQ Health Strategy is being developed. Last week several leading health organisations and prominent community groups shared their concern that the Western Australian Health Department had set a timeline for the development of […]
The McGowan government has announced it will be developing a specific health strategy focussing on LGBTIQ+ communities but concern has been raised by community groups regarding the pace at which the strategy will be put together. Thirteen prominent representatives from community organisation have written a joint letter to Health Minister Roger Cook after it was […]
Western Australian Health minister Roger Cook has announced that the government will review Western Australia’s laws regarding reproductive technology, a move which may open a pathway for same-sex couples to use surrogates to create families. The government said it was clear that Western Australia’s laws were out of step with other Australian states, promoting the […]
The Western Australian government has announced it will be providing $120,000 for the development of a LGBTI health strategy. Co-ordinated through the Department of Health, the strategy will provide a framework to raise awareness of the specific health and mental health challenges of LGBTI people. The funding will be used to engage relevant stakeholders and […]
