The fallout from the decision against Dr Jereth Kok at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal continues.

Writing in The Catholic Weekly, columnist Monica Doumit examines the case and asks the very simple question: why have ‘incorrect’ opinions ruined a good GP’s career?

Doumit asks whether opinions on abortion, sexuality, and covid health measures should stop you from practicing medicine.

She writes of the Tribunal’s ruling that Dr Kok’s posts amounted to professional misconduct and then notes:

It did not matter to the tribunal that the comments had not been made to colleagues or patients or otherwise in the course of the doctor’s medical practice, but rather on his personal Facebook page.

Nor did it make a difference that the doctor had never received a complaint from one of his patients, and that these social media posts came to the attention of the Medical Board of Australia through anonymous complaints.

Doumit then argues, as we at HRLA often highlight, the process is the punishment. She then asks:

Was the meticulous investigation of more than a decade of social media posts and the dogged pursuit of an anonymous complaint to the Medical Board really the best use of everyone’s time and efforts?

And in the context of long wait times to see GPs and projections that GP shortages will only get worse, Doumit wonders who is made safer by revoking Dr Kok’s medical licence.

But the Medical Board seems more interested in Jereth’s opinions than in whether he is a competent doctor. And with regulators and employers seemingly more interested in policing opinions than in professional competency, Dr Kok’s case is just one of many where someone’s career has been derailed for “incorrect” views.

HRLA client Jillian Spencer similarly continues to face threats to her career after speaking out about gender treatments for children.

Even though the Queensland Government have put a freeze on the use of puberty blockers, the treatment she raised concerns about, she remains stood down from any duties at the Queensland Children's Hospital.

And the consequences reach further than the workers targeted by creating a “chilling” effect on others, who fear speaking up lest the same thing happen to them.

HRLA will continue to defend people like Dr Spencer and Dr Kok, because having “incorrect” opinions should not carry these consequences.