The former Labor leader hasn’t made the splash many expected when he joined One Nation, avoiding a TV interview and leaving his leader alone on TV.

An “epidemic on mental health issues and suicide” could await Australia’s youth if certain rising minor parties are allowed to exact their policy ideas around transgender rights, an activist has warned.

Mark Latham of One Nation and Dr Greg Walsh of the Australian Conservatives spoke candidly of their concerns about “self-identification of transgender children in our schools” at a forum hosted by the Centre for Independent Studies earlier this week.

Their parties are two of the many minor contenders which could potentially hold the balance of power in both Canberra and the NSW state governments — as faith in major parties dips and elections loom.

However, a sexuality and gender expert, Eloise Brook, says their ideas for our schools are “terrifying” and would only make life even harder for children living with gender dysphoria.

‘THEY’VE BEEN MUTILATED’

Dr Walsh said the current approach to allow children with gender dysphoria to take puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones puts them “down an incredibly dangerous route”.

“There are lots of studies that show people who are transgender are at much higher risk of depression, anxiety and suicide,” he said.

“The argument is that this is happening because we’re such a transphobic society, but if you look at how drastic the surgery is for a transgender and a person changes their mind, then they just have to realise they’ve been mutilated.”

Research shows trans young people are at very high risk for poor mental health, self-harming and suicide attempts.

Trans Pathways, the largest study ever conducted into the mental health and care of trans and gender diverse young people in Australia, found four out of five trans young people have engaged in self-harm, and almost one in two trans young people have ever attempted suicide (48 per cent).

“A very good justification as for such a high suicide rate is what’s actually being done to these people,” said Dr Walsh.

“So many are saying this should be addressed as a psychological problem, at the very least there should be a national inquiry into this to ensure we’ve got the science right.”

He argued that children with gender dysphoria should be made to “develop naturally and when they go through puberty and these issues will resolve”.

One Nation’s Mr Latham said children are “changing their gender every other day”, and it is making them “mentally ill because they are confused about their gender”.

“This self identification system evil political program to make young people confused and rise up, and to use this in this way is shameful and it shouldn’t be in our schools,” he said.

‘TERRIFYING’ COMMENTS SLAMMED

Their comments, have been met with scorn by Ms Brook, the secretary of the board of Directors at the Gender Centre — a peak NSW specialist non-profit which supports transgender people across the state.

“If you were to have these platforms (Mr Latham’s and Dr Walsh’s) have these kinds of policies enacted against all the medical and scientific support, it would lead to an epidemic of mental health issues and suicide — which is terrifying considering how bad the situation already is,” she told news.com.au.

“If you could show them these people and what they have to deal with, then it would change their understanding.”

She added that medical and scientific bodies are “100 per cent in agreement” when it comes to gender dysphoria.

Contrary to Dr Walsh’s theory about why trans young people in Australia attempt suicide at such an alarming rate, Trans Pathways research shows, issues such as “peer rejection, bullying, issues with school, university or TAFE, and a lack of family support” are key factors which affect their mental health.

Furthermore the study that young trans people found it difficult to access health services, with 60 per cent feeling isolated from medical and mental health services, and 42 per cent having reached out to a service provider who did not understand or respect their gender identity.

“It can’t be ignored and it need to be addressed, and the psychological problems some people face start to heal once you address it,” she said.

“What they (Mr Latham’s and Dr Walsh) are saying, it’s based on stoking fear and it’s not based on science or medical advice at all.”

She said the bigger issue heading into the NSW election is that support groups like the Gender Centre are currently struggling to deal with “a lack of funding to support transgender and Gender Diverse families (TGD)”.

“We currently have one case worker helping 130 families (we’re supposed to see 65 per case worker)," she said.

“We found that 20 per cent of the families we see are seriously at peril with a combination of domestic violence, mental health and hospitalisation issues, and potential homelessness. Sometimes all of them.”

‘100 PER CENT CERTAINTY’ FOR MINOR PARTIES

Tuesday’s forum also included the Liberal Democrats’ David Leyonhjelm didn’t express a view on the gender dysphoria, instead he took aim at the NSW “nanny state” and government’s crack down on our civil liberties.

He added with “100 per cent certainty” that after the coming state election crossbenchers will hold the balance of power in both houses of parliament in both NSW and Federal parliaments.

Using “straight-up political blackmail”, he said he would sell his votes on issues that weren’t as important to him in return for concessions on key issues.

Mr Latham said NSW Labor has narrowed its campaign down to just one issue, the demolition and rebuilding of Sydney’s Allianz Stadium — but aside from that, there is virtually no difference between the two major parties.

“It is beige on beige,” he said — describing the two party leaders.

He said minor parties are “the voice of disruption, the voice of discord, we are the voice of things beyond the stadium that matter to the people of NSW”.

Dr Walsh claimed that terrorism is now a part of daily life in Australia his party leader, the former Liberal Cory Bernardi, was focused on key issues like investigating halal certification of products and dealing with the “threat” posed by women wearing the burqa.