The last couple of months has seen a real increase in right wing rhetoric and policies that conservative parties are attempting to push through both in Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately, this has followed a lot of the trends from the USA and UK with attacks on trans kids access to gender affirming care as well as the continued wave of anti-immigration rhetoric. Thankfully some of these attempts have been blocked but the desire for conservatives to push some of these ideas despite being in opposition clearly shows the direction they wish to take us in. Despite these events we still have a few positives to reflect on with some clear progressive wins perhaps highlighting that Australia is becoming increasingly divided.
Attempts to limit Abortion in SA
Former One Nation MP and current independent in the South Australian Upper House, Sarah Game proposed a bill back in September to limit late term abortions. In South Australia the law currently allows for late term abortions based on “significant risk to the physical or mental health” of the pregnant person based on the approval of two doctors. The bill proposed to removal the mental health element as justification for seeking approval. It follows another attempt last year form liberal MP Ben Hood which proposed women at 27 weeks should be induced and forced to give birth rather than access an abortion. Just like a year ago this conservative push to impose restrictions on reproductive rights was narrowly defeated in the Upper House in November. The fact that we are here again after a year demonstrates that conservative voices and pro-life campaigners are obviously going to keep pushing for a change even with a Labour government.
Adult time for violent Crime
A narrative which has filled the popular press this year including the Murdoch rags has been that youth crime in Melbourne. It seemed that it was firming as a major election issue for next year. However, in attempt to be primitive the Labour Government has gone hard with a crackdown. Implementing a new adult time for violent crime approach which means that any person over the age of 14 that commits a violent crime like a home invasion or assault with be tried in the adult system and face adult time. The move follows a similar policy implemented by the Queensland government to address increasing crime rates.
The move has of course been met with criticism from experts including Mel Walker the former chair of the Law Institute that described the move as “extraordinary, bad policy and counter-intuitive”. The main concern is that such policy does not take into account the factors that drive youth crime including domestic violence and has been proven to be ineffective in addressing crime rates as it often increases the likelihood of reoffending. However, despite this the Allen government have continued to plough ahead, and the bill passed the parliament in early December. Whether it has the desired effect of reducing crime or nullifying this as an election issue only time will tell.
Tasmania implements LGBTQIA+ compensation
Tasmania was the last state to decriminalising homosexuality in 1997 despite the Toonen Vs Australia case in the United Nations which 1994 leading to the Human Rights (Sexual Conduct) Act introduce federally to overall state laws. In fact it was not until the Tasmanian government was taken to the High Court of Australia in 1997 on the basis that the states laws were inconsistent with federal law that they decriminalise homosexuality as recognition that such laws were unenforceable. It meant that 22 years after South Australia became the first state to decriminalise male homosexual activity, Tasmania finally followed suit. Despite this cross dressing was still illegal in the apple isle until 2001 which was a law generally used to persecute trans women.
As such the fact that this year Tasmania has become the first state to offer compensation to LGBTQIA+ people to be convicted under these laws is a monumental turn around and is perhaps recognition of their historical shame at persecuting the LGBTQIA+ community. The bill which past parliament on the 6th of November includes a fixed sum for those charged or convicted of offenses that no longer exist. This form of compensation cannot undo the harm done at the time however it is a recognition that such persecution was wrong. All states in Australia have expunged such offense but hopefully with Tasmania now taking stronger action to make up for the mistakes of the past others will follow.
Courts take a stand on hate
NSW showed that anti trans hate speech can be a serious offense with the first conviction in November. Thomas Fordham, 27, earned a community corrections order due to offensive comments he made on YouTube videos of American trans activist Mercury Stardust calling for a genocide of transgender people. The platform removed the comments however the Judge found that this did not mitigate the seriousness of Fordham’s actions. It is the first time that anyone has been prosecuted based around transgender vilification since the laws were change in 2018 to include an incitement to violence offense in NSW. The offense can carry a penalty up to three years imprison so Fordham got off lightly but the case marks that it is possible that some of these haters could be held accountable for the horrible things they say online.
More Nazi nonsense
Once again Australia has been plagued by another rally of Neo Nazis this time outside NSW parliament. These men dressed in black were reciting Hitler chants and carried a banner that stated, “Abolish the Jewish Lobby”. One major difference with this public demonstration to other appearance of Neo-Nazi’s in Australia is that the those attending the rally were not in the familiar balaclavas and masks but felt confident enough to show their faces. Added to this is the concerning fact that the rally was approved by NSW police, a decision that is currently under review since the demonstration clearly broke the laws including racist violence.
One positive out of this is that their brazen desire to show their faces outside parliament meant that the authorities could start identifying these Neo Nazis and taking some sort of action. This led to the identification of a South African man who attended the rally and has since been held in immigration detention before being deported after the federal government revoked his visa. However, this is clearly not enough as Australia has seen too many instances of Neo-Nazi’s pushing anti-immigration, antisemitism and anti – trans hate across multiple states this year.
Victoria makes a small change
On a positive note, Victoria continues to show that it is one of the most progressive states for trans rights with a small change for those seeking to change their names. The self ID laws in the state require trans people to submit a Statutory Declaration to Birth Deaths and Marriages to change their name on their birth certificate and have previously had to pay a $140 fee assuming they also wanted to update the gender marker. However, in a sign of good will the government has decided to wave this fee for trans people seeking a name change on their birth certificate. It is a small win but with raising cost of living one that makes transitioning a tiny bit cheaper in Victoria.
Rising support for One Nation
One Nation has been around for a while and Pauline Hansen has always been good at getting news headlines with her outrageous behaviour however outside of Queensland no one has really taken her seriously. The party has always had a very right-wing platform and pushed an anti-immigration, anti-climate change and Anti LGBTQIA+ messages so has generally been considered extremists. However, recently One Nation has seen a surge in their polling with their single digit numbers shooting well into the teens, some polling suggesting their support is as high as 18% although moderate estimates are 12%. This is largely due to people feeling dissatisfied with the coalition and the righter wing supports of the Liberal party becoming more extreme. The support has especially surged with gen X males with one in four now potential supporting One Nation.
Hansen speaking at Mar-a-Lago in November
This dramatic shift in the political landscape that suggest One Nation may be a major player at the next election has created a bit of upheaval in the political landscape. Hansen herself has been making some significant moves to really establish her party as the major right wing populist threat and has clearly embraced Trumpism speaking at Mar-a-Lago and making sure to hit all the familiar talking points. The increased profile and decline of the coalition have also meant that Barnaby Joyce a former Nationals Leader has left the party and joined One Nation. It is a significant shack up of Australian politics and could have some serious implications for the coalition going forward if this support is sustained.
NZ’s short lived ban on Gender Affirming care?
In November the New Zealand Government followed the UK and paused gender affirming care for trans youth pending the outcome of the Pathway trial in 2031. The official statement from Health Minister Simeon Brown attempted to suggest this was precautionary approach due to the limited evidence and that the government were attempting to ensure “treatments are safe and carefully managed.” However, the social media comments from New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters highlighting their campaigning on the issue demonstrates that this more of an political platform than anything. The announcement like we saw in Queensland caught the Professional Association for Transgender Healthcare Aotearoa (PATHA) completely by surprise as the government failed to engage in any consultation. Announced on the 19th of November the ban was to come into effect with a sense of urgency on the 19th of December.
However, the ban is currently under in injunction from the High Court of New Zealand pending a judicial review. In her judgement Justice Michele Wilkinson-Smith said “that the Crown should take no steps to enforce the regulations pending the judicial review being determined” and that there was a reasonable argument that the regulations were “unlawful in a judicial review sense”. She also noted that “there is also no evidence of a particular need to act urgently to prevent new prescriptions because of some immediate risk to physical health if young people commence treatment” and that the potential for a negative effect on mental health from banning them was “a far more immediate concern”. So, once again like in Queensland we have seen the courts question the legality and actions of governments to block access to care especially sighting the speed and lack of consolation for these decisions highlights that it is motivated by political ideology and has little to do with protecting kids.
Gender Affirming Care in NT
Following the announcement by the Queensland Government extending their public health ban on puberty blockers for Trans youth the Northern Territory has sadly used the opportunity to follow suit. The minister for Health Steve Edington announced the government would be pulling public health funding for puberty blockers or gender affirming hormones siting the recent bans in Queensland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom showing how conservative governments will drew on the actions of other conservative governments to justify their actions. The minister clearly articulated his perception that this was an ideological issue rather than a question of medical care in his statement that “Territory kids deserve to grow up free from these dangerous, ideologically driven practices with irreversible consequences.” The decision goes a step further than the ban in place in Queensland as it is set to effect those trans teens already undergoing treatment in the public health sector. This is despite the Vine review published by Queensland advocating for treatment with better oversite and causing against the “inherit risks” of public health sector bans. It is another devastating blow for trans youth in Australia no doubt will become part of the precedent for the next conservative government highlighting the ongoing need to fight to protect trans kids regardless of geographic location.
Anti-immigration rhetoric
One Nation and the Coalition have been going hard on the anti-immigration rhetoric since the election, and it has really gathered steam since the ‘March for Australia’ rallies at the end of August. Realistically, it is not surprising considering the populist rhetoric coming out of the USA and the UK that attempts to blame immigration for all sorts of political issues including the high cost of living, job availability and affordability of housing. It is a scapegoating campaign that has proven effective with people that feel disenfranchised and want a clear enemy to blame.
The tragic events in Bondi have sadly only amplified this divisive politics with both Pauline Hansen and Susan Ley really pushing an anti-immigration message in their attempts to blame Labour. This is even though one shooter migrated in the 1990s under the Howard Government and the other was born in Australia so therefore are in no way connected to recent migration policy. Their actions and heritage means that the massacre has become a lightning rod of Anti-migrant and Islamophobic messaging as right-wing parties try to capitalise on the tragedy. The whole thing is disgusting and a real break with Australian tradition to pull together and call for unity in similar times of crisis.
Realistically despite a few wins the end of the year has been pretty bleak in Australia full of political division, Anti Trans policy and right-wing populism. Sadly, I feel like this is going to continue in 2026 especially with elections in Victoria and New Zealand to come.
