Nationals leader Matt Canavan has doubled down on his fight to protect women-only spaces after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismissed the issue as a 'culture war' in the wake of the Giggle v Tickle case. Canavan has called for the Sex Discrimination Act to be changed to ensure biological women are protected under new laws.
In mid-May, Giggle for Girls CEO Sall Grover lost her appeal of a 2024 decision that found she unlawfully discriminated against transgender woman Roxanne Tickle after barring her from the women-only platform. Ms Tickle had sued Ms Grover after being barred from the app in 2021.
Canavan's call for change
Speaking to Sky News' Outsiders, Mr Canavan said there needed to be the 'right and possibility' for women-only spaces. 'There should be the right and possibility for women to associate themselves with other women, especially given the challenges and issues they face,' he said.
On Thursday, the Prime Minister was asked whether the Sex Discrimination Act should be amended to clarify that 'woman' is defined as a member of the female sex during an appearance on the ABC's Afternoon Briefing. Mr Albanese dismissed the issue, telling host Patricia Karvelas he was 'not engaging in culture wars'.
Labor's role
Asked about the Prime Minister's dismissal, Mr Canavan said Labor had introduced this 'fundamental blow' to human rights 13 years ago. In 2013, under the Gillard government, the definition of 'woman' was removed from the Sex Discrimination Act, a move critics argue contributed to the legal outcome. 'It's only a culture war for Labor when they're losing,' Mr Canavan said.
'Thirteen years ago now, when they changed the Sex Discrimination Act to insert a concept of gender identity, (it) wasn't a culture war then, apparently. It was a fundamental blow for human rights.'
Consequences of the law
Mr Canavan said he did not think former prime minister Julia Gillard knew 'how crazy the world would get' but that due to the legal change, things had 'gone downhill very, very fast'. The Nationals leader conceded that he did not think the update to the law was made with the 'intent' to disallow Ms Grover from making a women's-only app years later.
'I don't think it was high on the list of the priorities of what occurred 13 years ago. But it has happened … (and) it's been the consequence of that change and how the courts have interpreted the law,' he said. 'We need to fix it. It needs to be fixed. It's not a culture war for Sall Grover, who had been trawled through the courts, had to pay thousands of dollars, facing a $20,000 fine now for simply trying to talk to other women.'
Proposed legislation
Mr Canavan said Nationals MP Alison Penfold had been working on a bill for a year and that it was 'coincidental' that it was introduced to parliament last week after the court case. 'But the Nationals and the Liberals are right behind changing the Sex Discrimination Act,' he said. 'Angus Taylor's written to the Prime Minister, we're happy to cooperate, happy to be constructive. I'm not saying Alison's bill is a take it or leave it, but let's fix this issue and let women have their rights back in this country.'
Protests and reactions
Last week, former prime minister Julia Gillard was confronted by a protester during a public appearance in the United Kingdom, in an outburst linked to the recent Tickle v Giggle discrimination case. The former prime minister was speaking at the Hay Festival in Wales when the incident unfolded during a panel discussion on women in politics and public life. The protester screamed, 'What about Sall Grover?' before holding up a large banner directed at Ms Gillard that read, 'Julia Gillard, destroyer of women's rights'.
Earlier this month, Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson, who is the shadow communications minister, said there needed to be law changes 'immediately' to address the confusion surrounding gendered spaces. 'The Giggle v Tickle decision has made Australia an international laughing stock,' Ms Henderson said in a social media post. Speaking to Sky News, Ms Henderson called on the Albanese government to take action on a 'fundamental' issue in Australia. 'We want to ensure that women and girls only spaces are properly protected,' Ms Henderson said. 'We would like to see the law changed immediately.'
