Liberal MP Bridget Archer has blasted fellow Tasmanian senator Claire Chandler’s controversial legislation allowing sporting groups to exclude transgender people from single-sex sports as “a vanity bill” and “not government policy”.
Archer’s excoriation follows a public endorsement of Chandler’s proposal by the prime minister. Scott Morrison this week backed the private senator’s bill which would amend the Sex Discrimination Act to “clarify” that the operation of single-sex sport on the basis of biological sex was not discriminatory.
During a visit to Tasmania the prime minister described Chandler’s proposal as “terrific”.
“I support it, as Claire knows,” Morrison told reporters earlier this week. “I think it’s a terrific bill and I’ve given her great encouragement”.
“Claire is a champion for women’s sport and I think she’s been right to raise these issues in the way that she has. Well done, Claire”.
But Archer – who crossed the floor in an effort to secure protections for transgender children during the recent parliamentary debate about religious discrimination – characterised her colleague’s proposal as “unnecessary and divisive”.
“This is not government policy – this is a vanity bill,” Archer said.
She said the Coalition needed to desist from a culture war that had real world implications for vulnerable people.
“I wish we would stop talking about these issues,” Archer said. “I think people need a break”.
The Liberal senator, Andrew Bragg, said: “I don’t think importing US culture wars is a good idea.”
“Despite US controversy, I am not aware of issues in Australia,” he told Guardian Australia. “The Sex Discrimination Act exemptions are already broad and appear to work as intended. I see no case for law reform.”
Advocacy groups have expressed similar criticisms. The chief executive of Equality Australia, Anna Brown, said this week sporting groups had been working hard for decades to ensure inclusivity for trans and gender diverse people, saying “sport should be for everyone”.
“In supporting this cruel, divisive and unnecessary bill, the prime minister once again underestimates the community’s support for trans and gender diverse children,” Brown said.
“The Senate must act decisively and with the same conviction as their lower house colleagues by standing for the inclusion of trans kids by rejecting this bill in its entirety”.
Archer’s pointed criticism follows the scuttling of the religious discrimination bill during the past parliamentary sitting fortnight. Five Liberal MPs, including Archer, crossed the floor to ensure the protection of gender non-conforming students under the Sex Discrimination Act.
The rebellion by moderates forced Morrison to shelve the government’s proposal after the amendments aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ students sparked a backlash from religious schools and government conservatives. Bragg had said he was prepared to support these amendments in the Senate.
During his pre-campaign visit to Tasmania this week, before he endorsed Chandler’s bill, Morrison made a point of praising Archer, an outspoken Liberal moderate.
Asked by a reporter whether he continued to support Archer “even though she has been speaking out against some things lately” Morrison replied: “Bridget, I know, is passionate”.
“Bridget has come with life experience to our team that I greatly value and I greatly respect,” the prime minister said.
“You know, we love Bridge. We really do. And I’m really pleased she’s on my team, and she’s on my team and she’s a fiery member of my team and she’s a fiery member for Bass”.
When she introduced her private member’s bill back on 10 February, Chandler told parliament single-sex sport for women and girls was “a fundamental good for our society”. She said the need to separate females and males on the sporting field – in the vast majority of sports – had “been understood for decades”.
“Millions of Australian parents and grandparents have proudly watched their daughters’ and granddaughters’ sporting achievements: playing their first game, winning their first trophy, making their first state team, or signing their first professional contract,” Chandler said.
“Yet under recent interpretations of Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act 1984 sporting codes, clubs and volunteers can have legal action taken against them for offering single-sex women’s sport”.
“This interpretation has been used as a weapon to pressure sporting organisations to allow males to play women’s sport”.
Only one week of parliament remains before the federal election, and that week will be dominated by the budget on 29 March. It is unclear whether the government will seek to bring Chandler’s bill to a vote.
