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Deves said surrogacy is ‘reproductive prostitution’ and violates human rights

By Michael Koziol and James Massola
Updated

Controversial Liberal candidate for Warringah Katherine Deves repeatedly described surrogacy as a human rights violation and even “reproductive prostitution” in now-deleted tweets that go beyond her interests in women’s and girls’ sport.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison continued to defend his hand-picked candidate on Thursday after reports she had been banned from events and the media amid outrage over her comments about transgender people and LGBTQ issues.

Liberal candidate for Warringah Katherine Deves.

Liberal candidate for Warringah Katherine Deves.

Deves, who co-founded the Save Women’s Sport lobby group, condemned surrogacy as a “human rights violation” after gay US politician and former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg posted about becoming a parent.

“Surrogacy is a human rights violation,” she replied. “Women’s bodies are not vehicles for a vanity project.” It was later reported Buttigieg and his husband actually adopted two children.

Deves made similar remarks in other now-deleted tweets including a December 31 message saying: “Surrogacy is reproductive prostitution. It is egregious exploitation of women, both the woman from the egg is ‘harvested’ and the pregnant woman who gives birth to the baby. Breaking the mother-baby dyad is a catastrophic disruption to normal human reproduction and relationship.”

Some feminists have called commercial surrogacy – where a woman is paid to carry the baby –reproductive prostitution, though Deves’ tweet did not distinguish between paid and unpaid. Commercial surrogacy is illegal in all Australian states and territories bar the Northern Territory, where there are no relevant laws.

Deleted tweets from the account of Liberal candidate for Warringah, Katherine Deves.

Deleted tweets from the account of Liberal candidate for Warringah, Katherine Deves.Credit: Internet

Sam Everingham, global director of Sydney-based surrogacy organisation Growing Families, said Deves’ “inflammatory” comments suggested she was unfamiliar with the reality of surrogacy.

“Many hundreds of Australians engage in well-regulated surrogacy arrangements every year, including many from her own electorate,” he said. “Ignorance breeds prejudice and discrimination.”

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In another tweet, from September, Deves replied to journalist Georgie Dent, who had quoted an opinion piece published in the Herald and The Age accusing Morrison of “an act of chutzpah” for reserving the keynote address at the National Women’s Safety Summit.

“Maybe he [Morrison] identifies as a woman?” Deves quipped.

Deleted tweets from the account of Liberal candidate for Warringah, Katherine Deves.

Deleted tweets from the account of Liberal candidate for Warringah, Katherine Deves.Credit: Internet

The NSW Liberal Party was contacted for comment. Deves has previously issued apologies for the language she has used in conducting her campaign, as well as for any hurt caused, though she did not resile from her beliefs.

Morrison was not asked directly about Deves’ surrogacy comments at his daily election campaign press conference on Thursday but continued to defend her and said he had spoken to her earlier with words of encouragement.

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“Katherine is campaigning and I’ve been in contact with Katherine again today encouraging her,” Morrison said.

He also denied leaking a text message from NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet expressing support for Deves, suggesting it could have been leaked by one of the “close colleagues” he had spoken with about the matter.

“When I was speaking to some close colleagues in the Liberal Party on the weekend, they asked me whether Dom had been in contact, and I simply said that he had,” Morrison said on Thursday.

“I hadn’t shared any text messages or anything like that, I just said he had been in contact. We didn’t and they didn’t [leak the message].”

Deves was the prime minister’s hand-picked candidate for the seat amid an internal Liberal stalemate over candidate preselections in NSW. Nominations closed on Thursday, with Deves now certain to appear on the ballot paper.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was asked about some of Deves’ recently-revealed comments while he was campaigning with Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman.

“There is a legitimate discussion that has been had by the community about participation in sport, having a level playing field,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said. “But as for [Deves’] comments, they were inappropriate, insensitive, unacceptable.”

She cancelled a scheduled appearance at a community forum in Manly on Tuesday night where she was due to appear alongside other candidates including incumbent MP Zali Steggall.

It followed days of coverage of Deves’ comments about transgender issues in tweets and videos, including calling LGBTQ initiative Wear It Purple Day a “grooming tactic”, saying trans children were “surgically mutilated” and speculating Canadian actor Elliot Page was paid to come out as transgender.

Jacqueline Maley cuts through the noise of the federal election campaign with news, views and expert analysis. Sign up to our Australia Votes 2022 newsletter here.

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Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5af4q