Australia news live: Queensland health minister calls puberty blockers ‘medically contested’ and doubles down on ban
Queensland’s health minister defends ban on puberty blockers
Andrew Messenger
The Queensland health minister has defended the government’s decision to ban the prescription of puberty blockers in public hospitals last month.
Greens MP Michael Berkman used question time to ask Tim Nicholls if he would lift the ban in light of opposition by AMA Queensland, “countless medical experts and community leaders and thousands of ordinary people”.
Nicholls expanded on previous explanations for the ban, which was announced last month. He said he’d been made aware of “unauthorised paediatric gender services delivered – supposedly – by the Cairns Sexual Health Clinic … which were unauthorised and were not countenanced by the health services executive”
They had been progressing since at least 2016.
The exact details of the allegations about the Cairns clinic remain unknown. Nicholls claimed there had been “a series of events … that potentially harm children” in Cairns. The local hospital and health service has denied that any patient was harmed.
Nicholls also declared the use of puberty blockers and other treatments for children were “medically contested all around the world”.
“Rubbish” interjected Labor MP Grace Grace. Nicholls responded that the UK Labour government had implemented a similar ban.
Key events
Rafqa Touma
Refugee council welcomes integration and settlement pilot being made permanent
The Refugee Council of Australia welcomes the government making the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot permanent, which will offer 200 community sponsored places to refugees to Australia from mid 2026, but warns the government against them taking away from existing government supported places.
The council said in a statement:
The Refugee Council calls on the government to ensure any places granted through private sponsorship are additional to the humanitarian program and do not take places away from government supported places.
If the community is willing to step in and fundraise to bring people here and help them settle, these places must add to global protection, not supplant refugee resettlement places the government was already planning to fund.
We know from community feedback that more Australians will be motivated to become involved in community sponsorship if their financial and practical contributions add to Australia’s collective support of people who have been forcibly displaced by persecution and conflict.
Queensland’s health minister defends ban on puberty blockers
Andrew Messenger
The Queensland health minister has defended the government’s decision to ban the prescription of puberty blockers in public hospitals last month.
Greens MP Michael Berkman used question time to ask Tim Nicholls if he would lift the ban in light of opposition by AMA Queensland, “countless medical experts and community leaders and thousands of ordinary people”.
Nicholls expanded on previous explanations for the ban, which was announced last month. He said he’d been made aware of “unauthorised paediatric gender services delivered – supposedly – by the Cairns Sexual Health Clinic … which were unauthorised and were not countenanced by the health services executive”
They had been progressing since at least 2016.
The exact details of the allegations about the Cairns clinic remain unknown. Nicholls claimed there had been “a series of events … that potentially harm children” in Cairns. The local hospital and health service has denied that any patient was harmed.
Nicholls also declared the use of puberty blockers and other treatments for children were “medically contested all around the world”.
“Rubbish” interjected Labor MP Grace Grace. Nicholls responded that the UK Labour government had implemented a similar ban.
Meta and Google opt out of Sydney Mardi Gras amid move away from DEI in US
Josh Taylor
Google and Meta do not meet the requirements to partner with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the organisation has said, after the two tech giants ended their official involvement and ditched diversity obligations in the US.
At the 47th annual Mardi Gras parade up Oxford Street next Saturday, a notable absence will be the two tech firms, previously event sponsors.
When Sydney hosted the biannual World Pride global event in 2023, Meta sent a float to the parade. It was a media partner for last year’s Mardi Gras; Google was a supporting partner.
The two companies have this year curtailed their spending on Mardi Gras, Guardian Australia has confirmed, and are not sponsoring the event in any capacity. You can read the full story below:
Aussie shares plunge to five-week low on weak earnings
The local share market is on track for its fourth straight day of losses – and its worst one of the current losing streak – on the biggest day of earnings season.
AAP reports that the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index at lunchtime was down 130.3 points, or 1.55%, to a five-week low of 8,288.9 while the broader All Ordinaries had dropped 130.8 points, or 1.5%, to 8,568.3.
The big four banks were all well in the red, with Westpac, NAB and ANZ all down by between 3.3 and 3.8% after all three released earnings this week. CBA was doing a bit better, down just 1.1%.
In the heavyweight mining sector, Rio Tinto had fallen 3% after reporting a 27% drop in free cashflow in 2024, to $US5.5bn. BHP was down 2.3% and Fortescue had dropped 6.9% after posting a $US1.5bn half-year net profit – down 54% from a year ago.
Wesfarmers was up 3% to $78.91 as the Kmart and Bunnings owner announced its half-year profit was up 2.9% to $1.5bn.
Telstra was up 5.4% to a year-and-a-half high of $4.13. Super Retail Group was down 13.3% to $14.03 after the Rebel and Supercheap Auto owner posted a $130m first-half profit, down 9% from a year ago.
The Australian dollar was buying 63.38 US cents, from 63.69 US cents at 5pm AEDT yesterday.
Conservation foundation welcomes national green iron investment fund
The Australian Conservation Foundation has welcomed the announcement of a national green iron investment fund, as well as joint federal and South Australian investment in the transition of Whyalla steelworks to green methods of steel production.
The climate policy adviser, Annika Reynolds, said iron and steel production are important to many Australian communities and one of the nation’s largest exports, but “the steel supply chain is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and escalating climate change.”
In 2023, Australia exported 892m tonnes of iron ore to be smelted in coal-fired blast furnaces in other countries, producing more than a billion tonnes of climate pollution.
Decarbonising Australia’s existing iron and steel production facilities, while developing new green steel projects, is critical for Australia to establish itself in the net zero global economy and make a significant contribution to reducing our climate pollution.
If Australia decarbonised our iron and steel production and retained more of our iron ore onshore to smelt it here before exporting it as green steel, it could cut global emissions by as much as 4%.
Benita Kolovos
Greens want Victorian government to make further changes to VAD
Continuing from our last post: Sarah Mansfield wants the Victorian government to consider further changes to VAD, including:
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The removal of a time-based prognosis.
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Making access to assessments easier.
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Further obligations for health services which refuse to provide voluntary assisted dying services.
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The inclusion of a three-year legislative review written into the act, so that further changes can be made as needed.
Benita Kolovos
Victorian Greens welcome voluntary assisted dying reform
The Greens health spokesperson, Sarah Mansfield, has welcomed the Victorian government’s commitment to reform its voluntary assisted dying laws. In a statement, she said:
I am really pleased to see that the Victorian government has listened to patients, families and clinicians who have long been calling for fairer and more compassionate Voluntary Assisted Dying laws.
Many didn’t think this day would come. Currently, people who should be able to access VAD can’t do so because so-called ‘safeguards’ are actually restrictive barriers. We are committed to working with the government to make these proposed changes a reality. While we think they could be strengthened even further, this is a huge step forward.
More than $2m worth of allegedly illegal tobacco products discovered at Penrith tobacconist
Two men have been charged after the discovery of more than $2m worth of allegedly illegal tobacco products in New South Wales.
Strike force detectives executed a search warrant at a tobacconist in Penrith where they allegedly located $2,174,464 worth of illegal tobacco products.
The items seized included 15,562 vapes, 1,058,600 cigarettes and 198kg of tobacco.
On Tuesday, two men – aged 27 and 28 – were arrested at Parramatta police station and charged with recklessly conveying/possessing tobacco products and dealing with the proceeds of crime over $100,000. The older man was also charged with breach of bail.
Both were granted conditional bail and appeared in Parramatta local court the same day.
Greens urge ‘environmental outcome’ from Whyalla steelworks intervention
The Greens have backed the federal and South Australian governments’ intervention in the Whyalla steelworks but say it’s “vital” the investment still achieves environmental outcomes.
In a joint statement from Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator Barbara Pocock, Robert Simms MLC and Tammy Franks MLC, the Greens say they understand the need to defer the state government’s green hydrogen plan, given much of this project is predicated on the ongoing viability of the steelworks.
In the longer term we need a sustainable green steel industry plan for the future. One that assures the supply of steel to so many significant infrastructure and construction projects across our country.
A government equity stake in Whyalla will protect the national interest and give us a seat at the decision making table about the future of this essential capability. With the right industry policy and investment we can deepen our manufacture of products like wind turbine towers that we currently import in large numbers from China. We can reduce our supply chain risks.
Investing in the Whyalla steelworks to protect an essential national industry, save jobs and transition to green steel is a no-brainer for federal and state governments. But this needs to be done in ways that protect our national interests into the long term, and build a secure and sustainable value chain for steel manufacturing in Australia.
Rafqa Touma
Pilot program supporting refugees in Australia made permanent
A pilot program supporting the settlement of refugees in Australia has just been made permanent.
The Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot program, which has been piloted over the last three years, operates on a community sponsorship model. It originally launched under the Morrison government in 2022, and continued under Albanese. The federal government says the program will now be made a permanent part of Australia’s humanitarian migration program.
The Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia CEO, Lisa Button, said this was “wonderful news” from the commonwealth government.
The pilot matched volunteer community groups with refugees to Australia through the government’s humanitarian migration program, to assist with things from temporary housing, enrolling in school and registering for Medicare to navigating public transport or buying a phone. It has assisted about 550 newcomers in Australia since its launch, according to a CRSA media release.
Available data suggests that newcomers are finding their feet quickly, and are achieving in fields of education, work, English proficiency and securing long term housing. Community members involved commonly report that ‘sponsoring’ through this program is one of the most meaningful and rewarding things they’ve ever done.
Benita Kolovos
Third assessment requirement for neurodiverse patients a barrier in regional Victoria, MP says
Continuing from our last post: Emma Vulin said the requirement for third assessments for patients with neurodegenerative conditions, which the government is planning to remove, was a barrier for people in regional Victoria.
Vulin said she had some “better days” and “tough days” battling her condition but it offered a new perspective to her work:
My perspective on life did change in a big way since my diagnosis, and I have stepped up, to try to be strong and to advocate for things like accessibility here at parliament and speak up for people that are living with disability. It’s quite special for me to be able to have a say in and work in this government that’s doing things for Victorians.
