Tuesday, 2 December 2025

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (12:06): I move:

That I introduce a bill for an act to provide support for the making of decisions about certain medical treatment for persons who have an innate variation in sex characteristics, including provisions about the giving of informed consent to the decisions, panels of persons who may give approvals about the decisions, prohibiting the medical treatment in certain circumstances and other related matters and to amend the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1998 to provide for review processes for those decisions and for other purposes.

Motion agreed to.

 Emma KEALY (Lowan) (12:06): I ask the minister for a brief explanation of the bill.

 Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Ambulance Services) (12:06): The Health Safeguards for People Born with Variations in Sex Characteristics Bill 2025 will establish an act to strengthen safeguards for people born with variations in sex characteristics, often known as intersex variations. The bill establishes safeguards against non-urgent deferrable medical interventions in infancy and childhood, requires best practice multidisciplinary clinical oversight and ensures that procedures are delayed wherever possible until the person can participate in decisions about their own body.

Read first time.

Ordered to be read second time tomorrow.