On Friday, 1 August 2025, during estimates hearings, I asked the Director General of Queensland Health whether he provided any advice to cabinet in relation to the decision to ban public provision of gender affirming healthcare to children.
You can read my question and the Director General's response below, or in the official Parliamentary record of proceedings here.
Mr BERKMAN: Dr Rosengren, in January you issued a health service directive that banned the public provision of gender-affirming health care for children. Earlier this week the Premier told us that the decision to
implement that ban was a decision of cabinet. Director-General, did you provide the minister or cabinet with any advice in support of that ban?
Dr Rosengren: You are referring to a health service directive that was issued by Queensland Health. That is a responsibility of the director-general for the Department of Health. I am fully aware of those responsibilities and was directly responsible for the issuing of a health service directive.
Mr BERKMAN: Indeed. I understand all of that. The question, though, was: based on the Premier’s information earlier this week—that it was a decision of cabinet that he stands by—did you provide any evidence to the minister or to cabinet in support of any decision they made in that respect?
Dr Rosengren: You are making reference to a decision around a cabinet process and I am not in a position to be able to breach cabinet-in-confidence. I would refer the question to the minister on that basis.