New Zealand has taken a major step toward evidence-based care by pausing new prescriptions of puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria.

The government announced that, from December 19, puberty blockers will no longer be prescribed for gender-affirming purposes until the results of a major UK clinical trial are available in 2031.

Existing prescriptions for other medical conditions will continue, but new gender-related prescriptions will not proceed.

This decision reflects growing international concern about the safety, reversibility and long-term impacts of puberty blockers on children. Nations across Europe – including the UK, Sweden, Norway and Finland – have already begun restricting or halting their use. New Zealand’s shift signals a decisive return to caution, evidence and child-centred care.

For Australians following these developments, the relevance is unmistakable. Dr Jillian Spencer, a Queensland child psychiatrist, was stood down and targeted by Queensland Health precisely because she questioned the routine use of puberty blockers and refused to adopt an automatic “affirmation-only” model for distressed children. She advocated instead for holistic, evidence-based care – the very approach now being embraced internationally.

New Zealand’s decision is a clear vindication of Dr Spencer’s warnings. Where she has been punished for raising legitimate clinical concerns, an entire national health system has now agreed that caution is necessary. The international trend is moving in Dr Spencer’s direction, and history is already proving her right.

HRLA is honoured to represent Dr Spencer as she challenges the unlawful treatment she has faced. Her case has the potential to set precedent that will provide vital legal protection for all Australian professionals who refuse to compromise safety, conscience or evidence in the face of ideological pressure. No clinician should lose their job for advocating what international medical authorities are now openly acknowledging: that children deserve careful, evidence-based assessment – not rushed medical intervention.

HRLA hopes that Dr Spencer’s case will help move Australia toward the same child-protective approach we now see in New Zealand. Ensuring that professionals are free to speak up – without fear, without punishment, and without censorship – is essential to safeguarding children and maintaining integrity in healthcare.

As governments across the world reconsider the use of puberty blockers, Australia must not be left behind. And Australians who speak the truth in their professional capacity must be protected, not punished.

HRLA will continue to stand with Dr Spencer and all Australians who defend evidence, conscience and the wellbeing of children.