New Zealand’s new approach to treating children with gender dysphoria has left the Albanese government increasingly isolated in its support for forcing children onto puberty blockers.

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson today gave notice she would – not for the first time – move for an urgent Senate inquiry into Australia’s failure to adopt safeguards on the use of puberty blockers for gender dysphoric adolescents in line with international best practice.

“The number of countries realising the harms these treatments are causing to children are growing, and Australia is becoming increasingly isolated in its refusal to even acknowledge these critical findings,” Senator Hanson said.

“New Zealand is the latest country to acknowledge the lack of evidence backing the effectiveness and safety of puberty blockers as a treatment for gender dysphoria and urge a more cautionary, holistic approach instead of the ideological ‘gender affirmation’ approach enthusiastically supported by the Albanese government.

“New Zealand’s health ministry is updating their clinical guidelines and inviting public submissions while here in Australia, Labor and the Greens (with cross bench senators David Pocock, Thorpe, Payman, Tyrrell and Lambie) refuse to support any form of inquiry into the issue.

“From 2014 to 2021, the number of minors presenting to public gender clinics increased from a handful to thousands – and we have no data on private clinics, so the numbers are no doubt much higher.

“If it were any other legitimate medical condition such a rapid increase would prompt action but because it’s all tied up with gender identity politics, Labor and the Greens will not act to protect Australian children and their families from this predatory ideology.

“Puberty blockers have been shown to cause life-long harms, and there is no reliable evidence they are an effective solution. Any senator who refuses to support my motion for an inquiry next week will confirm they support harming Australian children instead of helping them.”