The Greens raised the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians in Parliament today, after it was confirmed the Health Minister has written to the Federal Government calling for a national inquiry into gender-affirming care.
Minister Barnett’s request alarmed LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians, with Equality Tasmania chair, Rodney Croome, labelling it a “platform for prejudice and misinformation against trans and gender diverse people.” It’s also a direct contradiction to the Liberals’ commitments during the election campaign.
We asked Premier Rockliff if he knew Minister Barnett had written to the Federal Minister, and to whether he’d intervene. Instead of providing LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians the comfort he’d previously promised, he backed in his hard Right Health Minister, saying the government would instead be “focused in Tasmania on the things that matter”.
Does the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians not matter to Jeremy Rockliff anymore?
We are concerned it appears the Premier ‘with a heart’ has chosen politics and internal peace over vulnerable people, and capitulated to his conservative party room. This is cowardice of the worst kind.
