The Tasmanian Health Service has signed on as a Gold Sponsor of the upcoming AusPATH national conference in Hobart—and is even offering to pay for GPs to attend.
But there’s a fundamental problem: AusPATH is not a professional medical association.
A recent paper in Australasian Psychiatry concluded that AusPATH:
- admits members based on “lived experience,” not accredited medical expertise;
- functions as an activist organisation, not a professional body;
- issues position statements that lack caution and mislead the public.
And the concerns don’t stop there.
On 21 August 2025, The Australian reported that former Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commissioner Gary Johns, backed by two professional associations representing 16,000 doctors and nurses, has lodged a formal complaint against AUSPATH’s charitable status.
His 30-page submission argues that AUSPATH fails the legal “public benefit” test for charities because its promotion of gender-affirming hormone therapy exposes children to proven medical risks—including infertility, impaired brain development, bone fragility, cardiovascular impacts, lifelong dependence on medication, and regret.
Johns cites:
- Expert testimony accepted in a recent Family Court ruling questioning the integrity of Australia’s Standards of Care.
- The UK Cass Review, which found the evidence base for puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones “remarkably weak.”
Despite these serious concerns, Tasmania’s Department of Health is sponsoring AusPATH—a group that openly frames its upcoming conference around “pushing back” against evidence-based reviews and inquiries.
Why should scarce health resources be directed toward endorsing an activist group that risks patient safety and may not even meet the requirements for charitable status?
Tasmania’s public health system is already under pressure. Sponsoring AusPATH is irresponsible, inconsistent, and indefensible.
It’s time for the Government to withdraw its support for AusPATH and recommit to rigorous, evidence-based healthcare.