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Federal election 2022

Katherine Deves says there is no need for her to meet a transgender group to hear alternative views on trans issues, as John Howard strongly backed her stance that trans women should not participate in women’s sport.

The former prime minister joined the Liberal candidate for Warringah on the campaign trail on Wednesday as polling day neared, with Liberals increasingly confident of clawing back at least some votes lost to independent Zali Steggall in 2019.

Howard said he “totally” agreed with Deves that young girls should not compete with biological males in sport, calling it “absurd” and arguing “most people feel that way”. “That’s not insensitive, it’s just a statement of the bleeding obvious,” he said.

Asked if she would meet with a trans group – just as she had recently visited the Jewish Museum after making comments comparing her activism to resistance to the Nazis – Deves told the Herald and The Age: “I have gay and lesbian and trans people, both trans women and trans men, in my friendship group.

“I have gay and lesbian people in my family. I speak to them regularly, so I don’t feel that I need to go any further than that.”

Pressed on whether she would meet with a trans group to hear a different perspective, Deves said: “If they are a member of the [Warringah] community they are welcome to come and talk to me if I become the member.”

It was not known whether trans groups have tried to meet with Deves but major LGBTQ group Equality Australia has not.

Deves said she had “a real shot” at wrestling back the seat of Warringah, which Steggall won from Tony Abbott in 2019 and holds on a 7.2 per cent margin.

The former Liberal prime minister, who served for 11 years between 1996 and 2007, said he did not detect the same public interest in Anthony Albanese as he detected with Kevin Rudd when Labor swept to power in 2007.

“People were thinking about a change in 2007 and for a combination of reasons they went for him [Rudd],” Howard said. (more…)