Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and coalition MPs have teamed up to vote in favour of a motion calling for children who are experiencing gender incongruence to be denied medical treatment.
The motion failed after several Liberal MPs crossed the floor of the senate and voted with Labor, the Greens, and independent MP Jackie Lambie to defeat the motion.
Senator Malcolm Roberts from One Nation put forward the motion calling for the senate to condemn the practice of children receiving puberty blockers or hormone treatment, or surgery allowing a change of gender.
The motion also called on the senate to acknowledge that there was a growing number of young people seeking treatment for gender incongruence, and instead they should be treatment by a ‘wait and see’ methodology, arguing that some research has suggested 70% – 90% of pre-pubescent children will no longer experience feelings of being transgender after they have passed through puberty.
The motion also noted that a leading hospital in Sweden has recently stopped allowing transgender children access to medical treatments.
The move follows One Nation successfully passing a motion calling on gender neutral language not to be used on government documents. While the previous motion was successful, on this occasion several MPs crossed the floor to defeat the motion.
Studies suggesting teens embrace their gender assigned at birth have been disputed
Figures suggesting that up to 90% of transgender children will eventually accept their birth gender assigned at birth are regularly quoted in the media and by anti-transgender campaigners, but it has previously been highlighted they rely on very old studies, some conducted over 50 years ago.
In 2018 Diane Ehrensaft, Director of Mental Health at at the University of California San Francisco’s Child and Adolescent Gender Clinic, highlighted one of the problems with outdated studies in an article for radio station KQED.
“The methodology of those studies is very flawed, because they didn’t study gender identity,” Ehrensaft said. “Those desistors were, a good majority of them, simply proto-gay boys whose parents were upset because they were boys wearing dresses. They were brought to the clinics because they weren’t fitting gender norms.”
Senator Roberts did not speak to his motion, and did not share where he drew his figures from.
Greens senator Janet Rice labels the motion as misinformed fearmongering
Greens senator Janet Rice described the motion as harmful and full of misrepresentation.
“News flash! Transgender and non-binary people exist. They are valid and deserve our love and support.” Senator Rice said. “And for some of the medical support to affirm their gender is life saving.
“This motion is harmful, it is full of misrepresentation, misinformation, fearmongering and it’s got no place in our parliament.
“It is a complete misrepresentation of the support being offered to young people in Australia affirming their gender identity, such as the world class services being offered at the Gender Clinic at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.
Senator Jonathon Duniam says states should work together to develop consistent care standards
Government MP Jonathon Duniam read out a short statement outlining the government’s official position.
“The government is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of young Australians, we acknowledge that the clinical treatment of children experiencing gender dysphoria is a complex and evolving area and that more research is needed. In Australia state and territory health departments are the system managers of their public hospitals and health services and have primary administrative and clinical responsibility and control of relevant services.
“It’s important that state and territories work together to develop a nationally consistent, evidence based approach, to best practice treatment and clinical care with appropriate safeguards, and we encouraged them to immediately prioritise this critical work.”
Senator Duniam said government members would be allowed a conscience vote on the issue and several Liberal MPs crossed the floor and sided with Labor and The Greens.
Six Liberal senators cross the floor
Dean Smith, Simon Birmingham, Richard Colbeck, Marise Payne, Andrew Bragg and Jane Hume all crossed the floor and voted against the motion.
Western Australian senators Slade Brockman, Michaela Cash, Linda Reynolds and Ben Small all voiced support for the motion.
Pauline Hanson attacks Simon Birmingham over his support of transgender children
Following the vote One Nation leader Pauline Hanson took to social media to criticise South Australian senator Simon Birmingham for voting against the legislation.
Senator Hanson said under Senator Birmingham’s watch the curriculum in Australia schools had become filled with “nonsense”.
“When you realise that one of the key Ministers siding with the Greens and Labor against One Nation’s motion was Senator Simon Birmingham, former education minister and current Government leader in the Senate, you will understand why Australia’s education curriculum is filled with so much of this dangerous nonsense.” Senator Hanson posted.
“If you want to understand why our schools and universities have abandoned education in favour of indoctrination look no further than the Coalition Government.”
OIP Staff
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