Morrison defends Deves again after she doubles down on ‘mutilation’ comments

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has again defended his controversial captain’s pick candidate for Warringah Katherine Deves after she doubled down on her description of gender reassignment surgery as “mutilation”, in contrast to her previous apologies.

Morrison conceded under questioning on Tuesday that children under 18 could not generally receive gender reassignment surgery, though he noted they could start the process of changing gender through puberty blockers and hormonal therapy.

Scott Morrison said he had no regrets about choosing Katherine Deves because he wanted strong women to run for the Liberals.Credit: James Brickwood

The prime minister said he would not have used Deves’ language but he had no regrets about her preselection and she raised important, controversial issues about which Australians – especially parents – were “very concerned”.

At the onset of the campaign, Deves apologised for her language in a slew of now-deleted tweets in which she described trans people as “surgically mutilated and sterilised”, invoked the Stolen Generation and compared her activism to resisting the Nazis.

But on Monday, when asked by Sky News’ Chris Kenny about her “mutilation” remark, Deves said: “That’s actually the correct medico-legal term. It’s very emotive and it’s very confronting and it’s very ugly, so of course people are going to be offended. But when you look at medical negligence cases, that is the terminology that they use. It is also contained the Crimes Act of NSW.”

The NSW Crimes Act prohibits female genital mutilation but clearly states it is not an offence if the operation is “a sexual reassignment procedure and is performed by a medical practitioner”.

Liberal candidate for Warringah Katherine Deves at a Liberal Party campaign rally in Sydney.Credit: James Brickwood

Kenny suggested to Deves she was “not really apologising” for her comments.

“I’m apologising for people how might have perceived it and the fact that it is confronting and it is ugly, and I certainly don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but that is the correct terminology,” she responded.

On Tuesday, Morrison initially emphasised the significance and permanence of gender reassignment surgery, telling reporters: “We’re talking about gender reversal surgery for young adolescents and we can’t pretend this is not a serious, significant issue.”

When reporters said that under federal and international health guidelines, minors cannot access the procedure, Morrison said it was a serious operation at any age and that the “process” of transitioning could begin while children were young.

“I’m not a surgeon. I’m not the chief medical officer,” he said. “The surgical procedure can’t [take place], but the process, the process by which these discussions commence and when issues of gender are being discussed with adolescents, that’s when a process can commence. And these are issues that I have no doubt Australians are very concerned about. Parents are very concerned about it. They should be dealt with sensitively.”

While laws vary by state, under 18s usually find it difficult to access gender reassignment surgery. TransHub, a NSW-based resource, states: “Generally, gender-affirming surgeries are not available to people under the age of 18.”

However, TransHub also notes some surgeons may be willing to perform “top surgery” – to remove breast tissue – for people aged 16 and over: “Parental consent, alongside the coordinated care of a multidisciplinary team (as available) is required for top surgery for anyone under 18 years old.”

Some Liberals are concerned Deves’ comments on LGBTIQ issues will hurt the party in inner-city seats where so-called ‘moderate’ Liberals are in tough contests against ‘teal’ independents.

Morrison said he did not regret preselecting Deves for Warringah in Sydney’s northern beaches, a seat held by independent Zali Steggall after she defeated Tony Abbott with a large swing in 2019.

“I’m absolutely pleased that I’ve been able to recruit and we’ve been able to appoint strong female Liberal candidates that won’t just run with the pack when it comes to issues but will stand up for what they believe in. That’s what being a Liberal is all about,” he said. “Not everybody may agree with her [Deves’] point of view. I accept that.”

Morrison said he had not had the opportunity to speak to Deves about her latest remarks but he was confident they would speak in the future.

Australian Professional Association for Trans Health president Fiona Bisshop said healthcare that affirmed a child’s gender was “life changing and life saving”, and medical decisions should be made by the patient and their doctors, “rather than being the subject of political debate”.

“Genital surgery is only performed on adults,” she said, though she added that in rare cases older teenage boys underwent top surgery.

“These treatments help young people to be able to leave the house, go to school and live their lives rather than stay at home crippled by anxiety and dysphoria,” Bisshop said.

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