‘Haters going to hate’: Peter Dutton backs ban on transgender girls playing female sports

Peter Dutton supports Donald Trump’s moves to ban trans people competing in sport against biological girls, and allowing it to occur is “not in the spirit of sport.”

Peter Dutton has hinted he supports US President Donald Trump’s moves to stop trans people competing in sport against biological girls, declaring that allowing it to occur is “not in the spirit of sport.”

In a major interview with Sky News’ Peta Credlin, the Liberal leader hit out at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over a range of issues for chasing inner-city left voters and insisting there are “two sexes”.

During the interview, Credlin observed that “I know your daughter’s a swimmer. I used to row at uni, but if I’d had to compete with biological men, I wouldn’t have got a look in. I mean, surely it’s not controversial to want to protect sports for girls?”

Stream Credlin: The Dutton Interview at SkyNews.com.au

“No, it’s not,’’ Mr Dutton replied. “And again, I think it’s one of those debates that we have to be honest in, and it’s not about discriminating against anyone, including young girls.

“I just don’t believe in discriminating against anyone, not on the basis of anything, and for young girls not to be able to achieve their Olympic dream, their pathway to a World Cup, or to be displaced from a team, because, you know, somebody has a physiological advantage over them. I just don’t think that that’s in the spirit of sport.”

Peta Credlin and Peter Dutton.

Asked about the “whole issue of gender treatment in young people that we’ve seen in the UK” where there’s now a ban on treatment of children under the age of 18, Mr Dutton said parents’ views needed to be respected.

“And if parents are being excluded from a discussion about the health needs of their child, something is seriously broken in the model,’’ Mr Dutton said.

“We know that there are two sexes, and we know that, you know, for many families, for different reasons, this is a very confronting debate. I mean, I respect somebody’s privacy, their privacy, of their sexuality, of their situation, and that’s paramount to me, but again, we have to have a society which respects parental rights and the rights of children to be innocent.”

What US President Donald Trump has announced

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday (US time) that would exclude transgender girls and women from female school sports.

It directs the Department of Justice to ban transgender girls and women from participating in female school sports under Mr Trump’s interpretation of Title IX, a law against sex discrimination in education.

“The war on women’s sports is over,” Mr Trump said at a signing ceremony surrounded by women and girls.

US President Donald Trump signs the No Men in Women's Sports Executive Order. Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

“My administration will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes.”

However, experts suggest that the order would affect only a small number of athletes amid claims there are fewer than 10 transgender athletes among the 520,000 competing at 1100 member schools.

The move on women and sport follows his first day in office on January 20, when Mr Trump signed an order demanding government employees refer only to “sex” and not “gender”, and declaring sex to be an “immutable biological reality” that precludes any change in gender identity.

Dutton takes aim at PM over anti-Semitism

Mr Dutton also attacked the Prime Minister over the rise of anti-semitism in Australia.

“I think it’s been one of the most shameful periods of leadership or lack thereof, that I’ve seen in my lifetime,’’ he said.

“I mean, the Prime Minister makes that baseless accusation of politicising the issue, because I don’t think he’s got a good story to tell himself, and I think he sees it.

“And so you throw out these red herrings, and you throw the mud, and you start the personal attacks, because you’re trying to distract away from the reality of the situation. The reality of the situation is that nobody’s politicising these issues when you get lifetime labor members, members of their party who are resigning from the Labor Party because of the Prime Minister’s inaction on the issue of anti-Semitism.

“You know that that’s not about politics. It’s because there is a serious problem here, and somebody will lose their life. There will be a terrorist attack. If this issue is not dealt with and if it’s not treated as a national security and national crisis and emergency, I think every Australian has really been rattled by the poor response from the Prime Minister.

Australia Day controversy

Mr Dutton also discussed his strong backing for Australia Day and said if elected he will not display two different flags as the Prime Minister has done.

That is the Australian flag and the Aboriginal flag.

“And I just think there is a collective sigh of relief, and a number of people have come up to me to say, ‘thanks for what you said in relation to the flag’. You know, we have a lot of respect for the indigenous flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag, but it is not our national flag. And I think, ‘well, why? Why would we be ashamed of that. Why wouldn’t we embrace it?’”

In 2024, supermarket Chains Woolworths and Aldi announced that they would stop stocking themed merchandise for the day, drawing a political backlash from opposition leader Peter Dutton. Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Mr Dutton also discussed his call for big companies to sell Australia Day merchandise.

“You know, because the haters will hate, and there’s always that element,’’ he said.

“But I think the stance we took last year calling out Woolworths for its bad behaviour. And I think the national pride that’s built up since then, I think the position on the Voice, where Australians thought, you know, thank God, like I thought I was the only person who thought this was crazy.

“Do you think that gave advice to speak?,’’ host Peta Credlin asked.

“ I do. I do. I think it lifted it,’’ Mr Dutton said.

“I think it lifted a cloak and allowed them to be seen again and to be heard again. I think the Prime Minister thinks about the local community, as you know, sort of the local hipsters in his electorate. And I think he’s completely and utterly disconnected with people in the suburbs and that’s why I say I think the modern Labor Party is not the party of the worker. The modern Labor Party is the party of the inner city trendy, and that has created all sorts of problems there.”