MP breaks party ranks on transgender birth certificates

The Liberal Party in NSW has been accused of fearmongering after opposing an equality bill. (David Moir/AAP PHOTOS)

Deep rifts within the Liberal party over transgender issues have been reopened after a state arm opposed a queer rights bill and one of its MPs accused it of "fearmongering".

The NSW coalition says the wide-ranging equality bill is going "too far, too quickly", citing internal concerns about women's safety once transgender people could more easily change the sex listed on their birth certificate.

The controversial stance was opposed by some moderates inside the Liberal party, including one who's willing to cross the floor, and comes ahead of a crucial by-election on Saturday.

The coalition, faith groups and a Labor-voting feminist will oppose a NSW equality bill.

The fracas over transgender rights follows a civil war among Victorian Liberals sparked by an MP's involvement in a trans-critical event and the controversial selection of Katherine Deves as a candidate in the 2022 federal election.

The man tipped as Queensland's next premier, LNP leader David Crisafulli, has also faced calls to clarify his stance on gender issues after a party official claimed the state had been “captured by transgender ideology".

The NSW bill would create a new domestic violence offence for threatening to "out" people and allow courts to make a parentage order for a child born through international commercial surrogacy.

It would also allow people to change their registered sex without requiring surgery to female, male or other descriptors - in line with other states.

Standing alongside faith leaders and a Labor-voting gay feminist, shadow attorney-general Alister Henskens and his deputy Susan Carter on Wednesday said the bill went “too far, too quickly”.

The birth certificate provision threatened women’s safety by allowing male-born people into women’s only spaces such as single-sex prisons "with the flick of a pen”, Ms Carter claimed.

NSW shadow attorney-general Alister Henskens
NSW shadow attorney-general Alister Henskens says the bill goes "too far, too quickly".

“This is not about equality,” she said.

“This is about jeopardising safe spaces for women.”

She was backed by the Hindu representative of the government's Faith Affairs Council, senior Anglican bishop Matthew Stead, and lesbian rights groups.

Irreligious Labor-voting lesbian Bronwyn Winter said she felt strange aligning with faith groups and the political right but she was concerned men "with all their tackle" would be able to falsify birth certificates to enter lesbian spaces.

NSW Liberal MP Felicity Wilson, however, stuck her neck out to dismiss her party's concerns.

"Those who claim it will create risk for women are fearmongering," the moderate MP said.

"Women are too often unsafe in our society but, in all my life, I have never been asked to show my birth certificate to enter a bathroom or a sports change room."

Penny Sharpe
The change will make "a very big difference for quite a small number of people", Penny Sharpe says.

The bill is expected to pass the lower house on Wednesday but faces a more challenging path in the upper house, which has an equal number of left and right-wing MPs.

Labor's upper house leader Penny Sharpe said NSW would become a safer, more inclusive place for the LGBTQI community.

"We believe that this change will make a very big difference for quite a small number of people, but it's a change that's absolutely worth making," she said.

Independent Alex Greenwich, who drafted the laws, said birth certificates were living documents that should properly reflect a person's gender without the need for genital surgery.

"It means absolutely nothing other than to the person who has it," he said.

"I would have thought the Liberal party learned their lesson from Katherine Deves and the appalling results she received in the Warringah election by focusing her entire campaign against the trans community."

Ms Deves's 2022 run in ex-prime minister Tony Abbott's former Sydney seat of Warringah ended badly, leaving incumbent teal independent Zali Steggall with an increased margin.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store