Back in June before parliament broke for its long winter break One Nation put forward a proposal for a parliamentary inquiry into transgender healthcare. Parliament rose with the discussion mid-debate, but today the conversations continued.
It’s the third time One Nation have tried to establish an inquiry into transgender healthcare, arguing that there are some medical professionals who disagree with the current approach of affirming care.
Warning: This story has details of opposition to transgender healthcare which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.
When the debate kicked off two months ago One Nation leader Pauline Hanson compared the treatment of transgender people to a cult.
“This gender affirmation ideology has all the hallmarks of a crazy cult: capturing impressionable minds, isolating them from their families and ultimately destroying their lives.” Senator Hanson said in June. “Keep your LGBTIQ to yourself behind your own bloody closed doors. Leave the children alone.”
While her colleague Senator Malcom Roberts denied he was inciting violence against LGBTIQA+ people when he highlighted a biblical quote calling for people to be drowned at sea.
Today as the debate resumed Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said there was a “crazy right wing” section of the parliament that was obsessed with other people’s bodies, dress and sex lives.
Just prior to the debate One Nation put forward another proposal to have a review of the National Classification system for books, films and computer games. Senator Hanson-Young said this proposal and the call for an inquiry into transgender healthcare were simply right-wing arguments copied from the USA.
“The obsession with other people’s sex lives that comes from the crazy right wing of this chamber is extraordinary! Obsessed with other people’s gender. Obsessed with other people’s sexual activities. Obsessed with other people’s love lives. Obsessed with other people’s dress. In fact, obsessed with everything!” Seantor Hanson-Young told parliament.
“Obsessed with everything but their own ability to look at facts, to understand and empathise and to have a genuine debate based on intelligence.
“It is extraordinary that time in this chamber, over and over again, is being spent on the right-wing moral diatribe that is not even unique. It is directly imported from the fascist right-wing arguments carried out in the United States. They’re not even original thoughts that are being argued here in this chamber.” the Greens senator said.
Arguing that parliament’s time would be better spent on issues such as rent affordability, cost of living, domestic violence or education funding, Senator Hanson-Young voiced her frustration at the continual debate over transgender people’s lives.
“But, no, they want to take up hours and hours of this precious chamber time discussing what somebody else wears, what gender they are and who they want to sleep with!
“It is obsessive to the ridiculous, and it’s not even original thought. They couldn’t even write a speech of their own; it is directly imported from the crazy crackpots in the United States. I assume they get all their ideas watching Fox News late at night.” Senator Hanson-Young said.
Liberal senator Gerard Rennick, who was recently dumped from the party’s pre-selection for the next election, said he was offended that Senator Hanson-Young was describing the views as those calling for an inquiry as “crackpots”.
Senator Rennick read out two letters he had received from parents who voiced their concern that their children were being treated for gender dysphoria while they also had other diagnoses such as autism or ADHD.
The Liberal senator said transgender issues were being “pushed through schools”, while also arguing that teenagers should not be able to block their parents from viewing their health records.
“I know it’s being pushed through schools at the moment—teachers are allowed. Schools aren’t necessarily pushing this stuff, and parents aren’t being told what is going on with their children at school.
“The other thing I’d like to look at is why—and we, the coalition did this—14-year-olds are allowed to block their parents from accessing their health records on myGov. I don’t think that is right either, as someone who has three children of my own. While they are living in my house, I will certainly want to know what they’re doing.” Senator Rennick said.
Before Senator Rennick could finish his contribution to the debate time expired and the debate is set to continue when parliament resumes.
OIP Staff
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