Election 2022: Plibersek falls short of supporting trans athletes as Liberal infighting intensifies

Tanya Plibersek says it should be up to sports clubs to determine the participation of transgender athletes as infighting over the issue within the Liberal party grows.

Senior Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek has fallen short of supporting the participation of transgender athletes in sporting events as fallout from controversial statements by Liberal candidate Katherine Deves intensifies.

The NSW Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Warringah made headlines last week after her divisive comments on transgender people were unearthed.

In now deleted tweets, the Sydney lawyer said she would not stand for seeing vulnerable children “surgically mutilated and sterilised”.

The comments set off a wave of infighting within the Liberal party only weeks out from the election, with candidates across the state either condemning or supporting Ms Deves.

Addressing the press in Nowra on Wednesday Ms Plibersek, Labor’s education spokeswoman, blasted the Prime Minister for his role in the debate.

“It just seems extraordinary to me that we continue to have a Prime Minister who would rather be dividing Australians than getting on with serious business,” she said.

Ms Plibersek pointed to the recent security pact between the Solomon Islands and China and the aged care crisis as being issues the Prime Minister needed to urgently address.

Mr Morrison has stirred further controversy in recent days due to his refusal to either condemn or revoke his endorsement of his “captain’s pick”.

Pressed on her views on transgender athletes, Ms Plibersek was coy.

“The sex discrimination act allows sporting clubs and sporting codes to make decisions about these issues,” she said.

Labor's Tanya Plibersek told reporters it should be up to sporting clubs to decide whether transgender athletes can compete. Picture: Nathan Schmidt

“With a bit of common sense and a bit of common decency, all of these issues are very resolvable.”

Ms Plibersek did not respond to questions about potential Labor support for protections of those athletes should the party be elected next month.

“I think it should be left to sporting codes (to determine),” she said.

“I agree with Marise Payne who says that we have to consider safety, fairness, and inclusion when we’re talking about these issues.”

The former deputy Labor leader’s remarks mirror that of Anthony Albanese who, while speaking to the media in Brisbane on Tuesday, questioned why Mr Morrison was standing so firmly by Ms Deves, despite the threat it posed to the Liberals’ moderate vote.

Mr Albanese said the issue highlighted a “divisive” Liberal party, despite NSW Labor leader Chris Minns appearing to back the controversial comments.

“This is a debate that is divisive within the community but it is also divisive within the Liberal party,” he said.

Labor's Tanya Plibersek at the campaign launch of Gilmore candidate Fiona Phillips, April 20. Picture: Nathan Schmidt

“I’ll leave it to them to sort it out.”

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has also reportedly thrown his support behind Ms Deves after reports by The Australian the Liberal leader sent a text message to the Prime Minister.

Mr Morrison has said that while Ms Deves “regrets” the comments she made in the past about transgender Australians, she is a “strong campaigner” on a “very important issue”.

Those remarks did little to stem growing dissent within the party over Ms Deves’ candidacy.

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said on Tuesday the situation was “very concerning”, while North Sydney Liberal candidate Trent Zimmerman told The Sydney Morning Herald he was ‘angry and disappointed’.