Thursday, 29 August 2024

Gender services

Moira DEEMING (Western Metropolitan) (12:19): (650) My question is for the minister representing the Minister for Health. It is no secret that I think trans affirmation surgeries on minors have no medical or ethical basis and should not be legal. Last year Minister Thomas assured me no less than eight times in writing, using caps, that the Royal Children’s Hospital does not provide or refer children to surgical treatment. But in July this year Minister Thomas contradicted her earlier claims about it – about things like mastectomies for minors – and wrote that the Royal Children’s Hospital may refer adolescents to a private specialist clinician to consider the appropriateness and need for surgery and that the Royal Children’s Hospital has been consistent in this approach over time. My question is: did the health minister mislead Parliament or did the Royal Children’s Hospital mislead the health minister?

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:19): I thank Mrs Deeming for that question, and I will refer it on to the health minister for a reply.

Moira DEEMING (Western Metropolitan) (12:20): And the same again: if the Royal Children’s Hospital is found to have misled the Minister for Health, what action will Minister Thomas take to investigate the issue and explain what happened to Parliament and to the public?

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:20): I will pass on that supplementary question to the Minister for Health for a written response.