The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) is currently under investigation by the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner after distributing flyers during the federal election that quoted publicly available policy positions from the Australian Greens party.
The flyers, which were shared as part of the ACL’s election campaign, highlighted the Greens’ policy proposal to remove out-of-pocket costs for gender-affirming treatments, with the aim of making them fully funded by taxpayers. According to ACL, the Greens’ official website states: “Ensure gender-affirming care is free and publicly accessible” and “Make gender-affirming healthcare a permanent part of Medicare.”
In addition, the ACL raised concerns about the Greens’ support for body-altering treatments for young people, a position they described as potentially harmful to vulnerable individuals. The ACL stated that their actions were part of “policy scrutiny” and argued that such discourse is vital to upholding free speech in a democratic society.
However, this criticism has now prompted a formal investigation, which the ACL has described as a threat to free speech.
The investigation comes as global debates around gender-affirming care for minors continue to evolve, with countries such as Sweden, Finland, and the UK recently reversing or reassessing their positions on such treatments, as noted by the ACL.
In Australia, Queensland has paused access to these treatments while conducting a formal inquiry, and the Family Court has expressed concerns about the “affirming” model, citing a lack of supporting evidence.
The ACL has defended its actions as a legitimate exercise in free speech, asserting that quoting publicly stated policy and sharing widely-held medical concerns should not be grounds for legal scrutiny.
