Peter Dutton shuts down Nationals leader’s call to ‘lean into’ gender debate
Peter Dutton has shut down his Nationals counterpart’s suggestion that Australia should “lean into” the gender debate,after Donald Trump’s executive order rejecting recognition of transgender people in the United States.
This morning David Littleproud, leader of the Coalition’s junior party the Nationals, said Australia must also consider the issue of gender in light of Donald Trump’s executive order declaring there were only two recognised genders under the “biological reality of sex”.
“I think there’s elements of this that come to the core principle of protecting women, particularly in things like sport, I think women should be competing against other women,” Mr Littleproud told Sky News.
“You think about it, particularly when you get to the professional echelons, a young woman puts her heart and soul into it and is trying to get to the top, and then someone of transgender comes across and because is physically stronger, rips away that hard work and that opportunity that has been put in front of them.
“We just need to take a deep breath on this, it doesn’t need to get emotional. We just need to understand it also comes back to respect, it comes back to respecting that biological basis that we can’t get away from when we’re born.
“I think we can do that in a sensible way without vitriol, without upsetting anyone, but just respecting there are some changes I think in our society that we need to lean into.”
Asked less than an hour later about a Nationals push to follow Mr Trump, Mr Dutton quickly shut down the idea.
“Australia is a sovereign nation, and as prime minister I’ll act in our country’s best interests, and I’ll make decisions that I think are in the best interests of all Australians,” Mr Dutton said.
“We don’t have any plans to change our position in relation to that issue.”
Speaking on radio station 2GB, Mr Dutton suggested the federal government was “more interested in pronouns, and a $500 million voice campaign” than on cost of living.
Labor has also sought to avoid the trans rights debate, although there was dissent within the party when the government briefly rejected plans to expand gender options for the next national census.
Trans debate played poorly for Coalition in 2022
The Coalition has largely avoided weighing into trans rights even as the debate has roiled in the United States, after anti-trans campaigner Katherine Deves was smashed in her run for Warringah at the 2022 federal election — a seat the Liberals hoped to win.
It’s similarly avoided other culture battles that have raged in the US, including reproductive rights, with Mr Dutton telling his team late last year a debate on abortion would become a “distraction” in an election about cost of living.
But some Nationals MPs including Matt Canavan and Barnaby Joyce have campaigned on issues of gender and abortion.
Mr Trump’s campaign line attacking Democrat candidate Kamala Harris’ stance on gender — Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you — has been held up by political observers in the US as a successful take-down of a perceived focus by Democrats on social issues over economic concerns.
Independent MP Zali Steggall, who successfully retained the seat of Warringah against Ms Deves in 2022, said communities had already rejected attempts to import the US debate here.
“This is [Scott] Morrison 2.0, it was soundly rejected at the last election as being completely out of touch with the real issues people face, and so I would call on Coalition members to focus on policies that deliver positive outcomes for our communities,” Ms Steggall said.
“I think it is incumbent on Peter Dutton to be very clear about how much of Trumpian politics he wants to import into Australia.
“Focusing on negative policies that turn back protections, that makes us weaker, we are far stronger united.”
Ms Steggall said there was “no issue” in women’s sport, which was well regulated by national sporting bodies.
“They have policies to ensure inclusive opportunity in sport when it comes to a community level, and fair participation in sport when it comes to an elite level,” the former Olympian said.
Liberal frontbencher Jane Hume attempted to pour cold water on the debate yesterday when asked on Sunrise.
“There is no Coalition position to take the same route as Donald Trump. Donald Trump is going to raise lots of issues that will raise debate around the world. This is not at the top of our agenda.”
