Drew Hutton, a co-founder of the Australian Greens, has been expelled from the party following controversy surrounding transphobic comments made on a Facebook post he shared in 2022. In addition, Hutton was threatened with expulsion for not deleting the remarks. These comments triggered a fierce intra-party battle over the meaning of free speech versus identity politics. Hutton is an outspoken advocate for transgender rights. He is alarmed at the growing effort to suppress honest debate and discussion about these politically charged issues.
The situation escalated when Hutton asserted that the comments made by others on his post were a matter of “free speech.” He gave them a dressing down, accusing the Greens of adopting an authoritarian perspective. He warned that a “doctrinaire mentality” is taking root in the party. Hutton’s remarks have sparked important conversations about the limits of free speech, and the need for all public discourse—including political speech—to respect marginalized communities.
The Expulsion and Its Aftermath
Hutton’s recent expulsion has raised new national interest. Prominent party identities such as ex-leader Bob Brown and Christine Milne are publicly agitating for his restoration. Both have stressed the need to defend democratic ideals and to foster dissenting views inside the party structure. Brown focused on the value of fostering an environment where all participants feel heard. Milne was on board with all this thinking, emphasizing in particular the powerful role of internal narrative.
“There is a clear need for a party like the Greens … But there is also this fairly authoritarian and aggressive and unlikeable element to the Greens that I think people in the community are responding to.” – Drew Hutton
Hutton also posted transphobic comments on the official Hutton for State House Facebook page. Some users even suggested that trans women jeopardize the safety of women-only spaces. This ignited a firestorm of criticism from many rank-and-file Greens members. Senator Larissa Waters laid into Hutton perhaps most sharply, accusing him of failing to treat the debate with decorum. Waters stressed that the party’s policies are developed via a consensus decision-making process within its membership.
The Debate Over Free Speech and Identity Politics
Hutton’s expulsion has opened up a much larger dialogue about free speech and civil discourse inside the Greens. He hopes that the source of his criticism will be identified as coming from a desire for transparent discussion. He claims it’s not an assault on transgender rights. As most in the GOP know deep down, his approach threatens to erode the core tenets they wish to preserve.
Waters defended the party’s stance on transgender rights, stating, “Our members are involved in formulating those very policies and those debates happen on a regular basis … And we love involvement in the democratic process.” She rejected Hutton’s assertion that internal debate regarding transgender issues was being stifled, adding that it is not difficult to adhere to the party’s code of conduct.
Hutton himself has accused opponents of this bill of going authoritarian. He laments too how we do not seem to be very tolerant of opposing views. This view has resulted in increased rifts in the party. Members are still dealing with their own confused prejudices about how to make their opposite ideologies about gender expression vs free speech work together in conversation.
Responses from Party Leadership
The response from leadership figures within the Greens has varied, with some supporting Hutton’s call for more open debate while others emphasize the need for respectful dialogue. Senator Larissa Waters, Hunter’s colleague from Australia, emphasized that keeping a sense of decorum in the conversation is important to creating a space for productive discourse.
“It’s not hard to uphold the code of conduct.” – Larissa Waters
Countless Greens members have been on the front lines protecting transgender rights, and working to create more inclusive safe spaces for all. Hutton’s expulsion raises significant questions over how political parties may do this without compromising these two values with the principled value of free expression. The current conversation is indicative of larger culture war battles taking place across the country around identity politics, free speech, and inclusivity.
