Prime Minister Scott Morrison is throwing his weight behind a push to ban transgender females from playing women's sports.
Morrison said he would back the private member's bill from Tasmanian senator Claire Chandler, saying it was a 'terrific' move.
The announcement comes just weeks after the spotlight was well and truly on the Government's attitude to the LGBTQIA+ community as it sought to rush through its Religious Discrimination Bill before the next election.
That Bill was purportedly created to better protect the rights of religious Australians, however it faced opposition for in fact allowing, and potentially even encouraging, other forms of discrimination.
The Morrison Government shelved the controversial Bill earlier this month and decided instead to pursue an investigation into its 'unintended consequences'.
One of these 'unintended consequences' was giving schools the right to expel transgender and gender diverse children.
Despite repeatedly assuring both his colleagues and his constituents that he doesn't want children to be discriminated against on the basis of sexuality or gender, Morrison is willing to back Chandler's push.
"I support it, as Claire knows," he said.
"I think it's a terrific bill and I've given her encouragement.
"Claire is a champion for women's sport and I think she's been right to raise these issues in the way that she has.
"Well done, Claire."
In September 2018, following reports teachers were being trained to identify potential transgender children, Morrison tweeted: "We don't need 'gender whisperers' in our schools. Let kids be kids."
According to News.com.au, Senator Chandler has previously told Parliament she hoped her Sex Discrimination and Other Legislation Amendment (Save Women's Sport) Bill 2022 would ensure men and women remain separate on the sporting field.
"Millions of Australian parents and grandparents have proudly watched their daughters' and granddaughters' sporting achievements - playing their first game, winning their first trophy, making their first state team, or signing their first professional contract," she said.
"Yet under recent interpretations of Australia's Sex Discrimination Act 1984, sporting codes, clubs and volunteers can have legal action taken against them for offering single-sex women's sport.
"This interpretation has been used as a weapon to pressure sporting organisations to allow males to play women's sport.
"The need to separate females and males on the sporting field - in the vast majority of spots - has been understood for decades."
Topics: News, Scott Morrison, Australia
Vivienne Kelly