<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/10/queensland-government-held-21-minute-consultation-on-puberty-blocker-ban-at-same-time-it-announced-decision>
"The legality of Queensland’s ban on puberty blockers has been questioned after
it was revealed the state government undertook 21 minutes of internal
consultation at the same time as a press conference announcing the decision.
According to one administrative law expert, an alleged failure to conduct
“genuine” consultation could lead to it being overturned in a legal challenge
launched this week.
Under section 48 of the
Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011, the director
general of Queensland Health must consult with a service “in developing a
health service directive” that applies to it.
According to a response by the health minister, Tim Nicholls, to a
parliamentary question on notice, that consultation took place from about 10am
on 28 January, finishing at 10.21am.
The minister announced the government’s decision to implement the directive at
a press conference that started at 10.06am.
Nicholls announced “an immediate pause on new public patients receiving hormone
therapy”.
“The government has made these four decisions that I’m announcing today
[including the directive],” he said, about 11 minutes into the 24-minute press
conference.
The directive bans public facilities from prescribing stage one or stage two
hormone therapies. It applies only to transgender children; puberty blockers
can still be prescribed for precocious puberty and other conditions.
Prof Anthony Cassimatis, the deputy director of the centre for public,
international and comparative law at the University of Queensland, said similar
decisions had been quashed in the past for lack of genuine consultation because
the time involved was so short."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics