❓ Hon Ben Dawkins asks about birth certificates, specifically regarding sex/gender fields. The Parliamentary Secretary declined to answer, citing a discrepancy between the question asked and the question submitted.
AnsweredQoN 197Legislative Council
Asked
19 March 2024
Member
Portfolio
parliamentary secretary representing the Attorney General
QuestionView source ↗
BIRTH CERTIFICATES
197. Hon BEN DAWKINS to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Attorney General:
I refer to birth
certificates.
(1) Why are birth
certificates issued?
(2) Why is the
biological sex of a newborn registered on a birth certificate?
(3) Will the
government rule out in this Parliament and the next including a gender field on
birth certificates in addition to a sex field, and rule out including separate
gender—I think they are called gender identity certificates.
(4) If no to (3),
why not?
197. Hon BEN DAWKINS to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Attorney General:
I refer to birth
certificates.
(1) Why are birth
certificates issued?
(2) Why is the
biological sex of a newborn registered on a birth certificate?
(3) Will the
government rule out in this Parliament and the next including a gender field on
birth certificates in addition to a sex field, and rule out including separate
gender—I think they are called gender identity certificates.
(4) If no to (3),
why not?
AnswerView source ↗
I do have an answer prepared but
the member changed the question that he asked so I am not in a position to
answer the question.
The PRESIDENT : Honourable
member, you may answer the question. However, if it is substantially different
from the one that was lodged, you may want to have a conversation with the
honourable member behind the chair about what question is to be answered. If it
is substantially different, it is your call.
Point of Order
Hon BEN DAWKINS : My point of order is that I will retract the
additional word and I will go back to the original —
The PRESIDENT : There is no point
of order and this is not a point of conversation.
Questions without Notice Resumed
The PRESIDENT : Member, if
the question was substantially different, you may feel free to answer the
question or to have a conversation behind the chair.
Hon MATTHEW SWINBOURN : As I am
the parliamentary secretary representing the Attorney General and this is the
answer that he has provided to me, we will refer to Hansard to —
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order! No
conversations across the chamber. Thank you.
Hon MATTHEW SWINBOURN : We
will need to refer to Hansard to understand whether the question that
was asked by the member was in fact the question that he submitted into the
system. No further answer will be provided from me to his question.
the member changed the question that he asked so I am not in a position to
answer the question.
The PRESIDENT : Honourable
member, you may answer the question. However, if it is substantially different
from the one that was lodged, you may want to have a conversation with the
honourable member behind the chair about what question is to be answered. If it
is substantially different, it is your call.
Point of Order
Hon BEN DAWKINS : My point of order is that I will retract the
additional word and I will go back to the original —
The PRESIDENT : There is no point
of order and this is not a point of conversation.
Questions without Notice Resumed
The PRESIDENT : Member, if
the question was substantially different, you may feel free to answer the
question or to have a conversation behind the chair.
Hon MATTHEW SWINBOURN : As I am
the parliamentary secretary representing the Attorney General and this is the
answer that he has provided to me, we will refer to Hansard to —
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order! No
conversations across the chamber. Thank you.
Hon MATTHEW SWINBOURN : We
will need to refer to Hansard to understand whether the question that
was asked by the member was in fact the question that he submitted into the
system. No further answer will be provided from me to his question.
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