Leah Blyth (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Stronger Families and Stronger Communities) Share this | Hansard source

We need immediate action to protect the integrity of female sport. This is not about exclusion; it's about preserving the right to compete safely and to succeed on merit. We are increasingly seeing biological males participating in women's and girls' competitions. This undermines decades of progress in women's rights and threatens the basic fairness that sporting categories exist to uphold. Education and sporting authorities must now develop nationally consistent sex based guidelines that reflect biological reality, not ideological fashion. We tell our daughters that, if they train and work hard, they can achieve their dreams. But that promise rings hollow if they are asked to compete against individuals with innate physical advantages. We must do more to protect female athletes from being sidelined not only on the field but in their aspirations. It would be a shame to see young girls walking away from sport not because they lack ability but because they no longer see a level playing field. This isn't a fringe concern. This is about safety, fairness and dignity. Real inclusion doesn't mean sacrificing the rights of many for the sake of a few. Let everyone play, but maintain female-only categories in competitive sport. That's how we ensure equality of opportunity.

The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom has found that biological sex matters in sport and that single-sex categories are lawful and legitimate. Australia should follow Britain's lead and bring clarity and confidence to our own framework. For decades, we've had male and female divisions, just as we've had age and weight classes, for a reason: to keep competition safe and fair. Let me be clear—transgender students deserve compassion and support, but gender identity cannot override the facts of biology when it comes to— (Time expired)