“I believe it is in the public interest to continue the pause [on puberty blockers and hormone therapy] and the pause continues until the end of January next year.”
Under law, Nicholls may give a written direction to hospital and health services relevant to the performance of their functions if he is “satisfied it is necessary to do so in the public interest”.
Nicholls said he would await the findings of an independent review, due November 30, before deciding whether public health facilities would resume offering services to children with gender dysphoria – and if the review would be made public.
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The pause on new hormone treatments was based on a three-page document with allegations of “apparently unauthorised” services to 42 paediatric patients in Cairns.
Critics accused the government of making what Premier David Crisafulli conceded was a cabinet call for ideological reasons, rather than being based on evidence, after external evaluation viewed the Queensland Children’s Gender Service favourably.
Opposition Leader Steven Miles used parliamentary question time to ask Nicholls if he would publicly release an interim version of the review he suggested was handed to government.
Nicholls replied: “There is no such interim review … the government has not received a draft review or anything else.”
According to a Queensland Health document from July, seen by this masthead, an “interim update” had been planned to go to cabinet in September.
Nicholls’ office declined to answer follow-up questions about the nature and status of any such update, citing cabinet confidence.
Comment has also been sought about the new challenge.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, Crisafulli backed his minister, saying he acted methodically and competently.
“[The] court made a ruling about the process. The minister listened to it, he accepted it, and then he charted an alternative course,” Crisafulli said.
“The decision that was taken is 100 per cent the right decision then and now.”
Crisafulli acknowledged how “deeply saddened” families would be by the decision to reissue the ban, but insisted it was one made as a result of “incredibly difficult and troubling allegations”.
“The minister has conducted himself in an exemplary manner, and I support the way he’s conducting himself.”
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