Victorian Premier Does not Want to See ‘US-Style Division’ in Australia

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan during question time at Victorian Parliament house in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 3, 2023. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said she does not want to see “U.S.-style division” coming to Australia after President Donald Trump’s signed an executive order on gender.

Trump’s order to acknowledge only two sexes was signed during his first day at the Oval Office on Jan. 20, just hours after he was sworn in as President.

It sparked a mixed response from Australian political figures.

Allan was surprised by a journalist who asked how many genders the Victorian government should recognise, in response to Trump’s order.

“Really? I'll say this in a broad sense. We are seeing too much U.S.-styled division come into our country, and it’s the responsibility of leaders to call it out and not respond to it and stand up for their communities,” Allan said.

“Every Victorian should have the right to practice their faith, whatever that faith may be, and do so safely, and to love who they love and to be who they are. That’s what’s important here.”

The premier continued that “what happens in the U.S. happens in the U.S.” and said Australia should avoid importing their politics.

“What we should be focused on here is saying: enough of that U.S.-style division. We’ve had enough hurt. We’ve got enough division. We don’t need to add to that with this sort of tokenistic behaviour,” she said on Jan. 23.

“We’ve got to focus on supporting people, to be who they are, to love who they want to love, and to practice their faith, whatever their faith may be.”

Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Catherine King said she agreed wholeheartedly with the Victorian premier.

She said the Albanese government would not be having a “running commentary” every day on what the leader of the country does.

“We think very firmly in this country that I think everyone has had enough of division, enough of people feeding and trying to engender hatred, whether it be anti-Semitism or on issues around gender equality. We’re getting on with the business of government,” she said.

Recognising 2 Genders

Trump’s executive order clearly states that it is the policy of the United states to recognize just two sexes, male and female. The executive order specifies that these sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.

“Under my direction, the Executive Branch will enforce all sex-protective laws to promote this reality, and the following definitions shall govern all Executive interpretation of and application of Federal law and administration policy,” the executive order states,” the White House states.

The order demands that agencies remove all statements, policies, regulations, forms, communications, or other internal and external messages that promote or otherwise inculcate gender ideology,

“Agency forms that require an individual’s sex shall list male or female, and shall not request gender identity.  Agencies shall take all necessary steps, as permitted by law, to end the Federal funding of gender ideology.”

Coalition MP’s Respond

However, on the Coalition side, there has been a diversity of opinions on whether Australia should acknowledge only two sexes.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has indicated the Coalition will not copy Trump’s position in terms of two genders.

“I’ll act in our country’s best interests and I’ll make decisions that I think are in the best interests of all Australians. So, we don’t have any plans to change our position in relation to that issue,” he told reporters.

“There are other issues where there’ll be agreement and where there’ll be disagreement with the Trump Administration or the Starmer Administration, whatever it might be, and we’ll work through that.”

Dutton was optimistic the Coalition would have a strong and functioning relationship with the United States, but he would make decisions on what is in Australia’s best interests.

“Our government will make decisions based on what’s of interest and priority and in the long-term interests of this great country,” Dutton told reporters.

However, Nationals Senator Matt Canavan suggested Australia could take a leaf out of Trump’s book.

“It’s totally unfair and unsafe to make young biological women compete against biological men in sports,” he said in a post to Facebook on Jan. 22.