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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-03-19 Daily Xml
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Gender Dysphoria

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:18): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Attorney-General, representing the Minister for Health and Wellbeing in another place, a question about gender dysphoria treatments.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: Last week, the United Kingdom's national public health system, the NHS, announced it was banning children under 18 years of age from being prescribed puberty blockers, irreversible medication that pauses the physical changes of puberty, such as breast development or facial hair, a decision that was welcomed by the UK government. That decision followed the international publication of a damning investigative report containing hundreds of explosive leaked files from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).

WPATH is considered the world's leading scientific and medical authority on gender medicine, with its standards of care shaping policies and practices of governments, including in Australia and South Australia, medical associations, public health systems and private clinics. The report revealed how clinicians who determine how gender medicine is regulated and practised around the world consistently violate medical ethics and informed consent.

I seek leave to now table that disturbing report, entitled 'The WPATH files: Pseudoscientific surgical and hormonal experiments on children, adolescents, and vulnerable adults'.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: Following the NHS's decision, I called for our own federal and state governments to introduce similar bans here but was met with silence, and as people in this place know the silence followed the Labor government voting not to support my proposed inquiry to examine—

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Point of order: the member is misleading the chamber. There was no vote on that inquiry.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: I am not—

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Pangallo, just get to the point with your question.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: I am getting to the point, and I dispute that. The Premier made it quite clear—

The Hon. T.A. Franks interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: I am not going to argue the point. In opposing my inquiry, the Premier said he had concerns the inquiry would only seek to perpetuate the culture wars. He said, and I quote:

I would much rather any sort of examination of this to be done in a methodical policy-based way based on the science and best available medical advice.

My questions to the minister are therefore:

1. Does the government intend to conduct an inquiry into gender dysphoria in South Australia along the lines preferred by the Premier?

2. If so, when?

3. If not, why not?

4. Can the minister provide data on the number of children under the age of 18 undergoing treatment using puberty blockers and hormones in South Australia?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:21): I am happy to pass those on to the minister in another place and see if there is an answer that can be brought back on them.

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