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  • Writer's pictureLibby Mettam MLA

WA Liberals will ban harmful gender treatments for children

A Western Australian Liberal Government will ban the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormone treatments and surgical intervention for children under the age of 16 for the purpose of gender transition.


When experts are telling us the potential permanent side effects of these treatments can include infertility, sexual disfunction, obesity, heart and liver disease, blood clots and atrophy of the genitals we need to investigate.


Many countries around the world have already implemented such bans on the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones on children in the face of growing evidence they cause long-term irreversible harm.


The overriding concern here is for the safety of children, history cannot record that we knew about the potential for long-term harms from these treatments and did nothing to prevent them.


The need for urgent action is compounded by the rapidly growing number of children being diagnosed and treated for gender dysphoria in WA.


Appropriate, compassionate, comprehensive and accessible psychotherapeutic support must be our first priority for them.


The only way to deliver that essential support is through a properly funded and effectively managed mental health system, something the Labor Government and Minister Sanderson have failed to deliver.


Child Protection

The suicide of a 10-year-old Indigenous boy this week in Western Australia is beyond comprehension. The sad reality is that many in our WA child protection system perceive their prospects so bleakly that they lose all hope for a better future.


In 2021 alone, it was found that more than 1000 children and young people didn’t have a dedicated case worker. Sadly, our WA child protection system is at breaking point, case workers, children and families alike, are all suffering at the hands of a bureaucratic nightmare.

We owe it to our children and families to take immediate action to ensure that they are protected and cared for in the way every child deserves.


That’s why under a WA Liberal government I lead, the Department of Child Protection will be re-established, removing it from the mega Department of Communities, to ensure that government has a dedicated focus on protecting the safety of our children.


If you’d like to learn more about this issue please feel free to read my op-Ed in last Friday’s West Australian 👉 https://tinyurl.com/43fcvje9


Wind Farms

Whether it be the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act, the shutdown of the Horizontal Falls tourism destination or the nature positive laws, the Cook Labor government is failing to stand up for our regions.


In recent weeks, Premier Cook and Minister Whitby have been missing in action as their federal Labor counterparts proceed with a dangerous plan to build a colossal wind farm off the coast of our pristine south-west community.


Under the current plan, Federal Labor is proposing to lock up over 7,600 square kilometres just 20 kilometres off the coast of Western Australia. The southwest community have continued to raise valid concerns around the impact of this project on our southwest community, sadly these concerns have fallen on deaf ears.


I encourage all of you to please sign the petition below, opposing federal Labor’s disastrous wind farm and calling on the Cook Labor government to stand up and support the people of Western Australia. 👉 https://bit.ly/3JpGjOh





The Cook Labor Government is failing to stand up to Federal Labor in the interests of Western Australians.


WA deserves better.


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