WA Liberals first major Australian political party to adopt policy banning medical transition of kids

The Western Australian Liberals have become the first major political party in Australia to adopt a policy banning the harmful medical transition of gender-confused children, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgery.

Liberal Leader Libby Mettam made the announcement today, saying that if her party won the 2025 state election, her Government would also initiate a “comprehensive review of these treatments and their suitability for use in the treatment of gender incongruent children”.

Ms Mettam’s announcement comes in the wake of the landmark Cass Review conducted in the UK by paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass and released this month, which shows there is no good evidence for medically transitioning gender-confused children and young people (the majority of whom are teenage girls).

As a result of the report’s preliminary findings in 2022, the NHS banned the routine use of puberty blockers for children and young people presenting with gender dysphoria in England, and Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark have taken similar approaches.

While the Cass Review has been welcomed by medical professionals, politicians, legal experts, advocacy groups and others in Australia, the response by others has been deeply disappointing, with activist groups and media trying to discredit its findings or falsely claim that it is not relevant in Australia.

Citing evidence of long-term irreversible harm associated with ‘gender affirming’ treatments and the bans popping up in countries around the world, Ms Mettam stressed the need for WA to undertake its own research into the outcomes being achieved in that state, after which the ban would be reviewed.

“We must ensure our treatment of children and young people with gender dysphoria is safe in the long term as well as the short term,” she said in her press release.