Katherine Deves

Deves co-founded the Save Women's Sport lobby group, intended to keep transgender women out of women's sport.[2] Before entering politics, Deves worked in marketing, and qualified as a lawyer in 2021.[3]

Infighting between the party's moderate and conservative factions caused them to support disability advocate David Brady and defence analyst Lincoln Parker, respectively. Both men were described as not "the kind of candidate we really needed here".[4] Despite the fact that she had been disallowed from standing for the seat on the grounds that she had not been a member of the party for long enough,[5] she had gained traction as a "circuit breaker"[4] candidate. She was then preselected by a three-person committee consisting of former president of the New South Wales Liberals Christine McDiven, Morrison and New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet.[5] It is unclear whether the committee knew of Deves' anti-transgender views before her preselection, as Deves had deleted her Twitter and Facebook accounts before preselection.[3]

During the campaign Deves made comments relating to transgender people which caused significant controversy.[6] Statements included claims that gender reassignment surgery was available to teenagers and that anti-transgender activism was equivalent to "standing up against the Holocaust".[6][7] Deves also stated that transgender children were "surgically mutilated and sterilised", which she initially apologised for, before walking back the apology.[8][9] She was invited to the Sydney Jewish Museum, after her comment relating to the Holocaust.[10] Many Liberals, including Treasurer of New South Wales Matt Kean and member for the federal seat of North Sydney Trent Zimmermann called for her to be disendorsed;[11] however, other anonymous Liberal Party members and Scott Morrison backed Deves.[3][12]

Deves was defeated in the seat of Warringah, historically a safe Liberal seat, suffering a 6.6% swing.[13] After the election, Deves objected to criticism that she was homophobic, stating on Sky News Australia, "Of all of the untruths and distortions attributed to me in my public life there is one lie that hurts more than any other, and that is the completely groundless accusation that I am homophobic."[14] During the election campaign, Deves had received more media mentions in metro and regional print and online news than any Liberal frontbencher, except for Morrison.[3]

On 18 May 2022, Deves came under fire for praising far-right forum Kiwi Farms.[15] In tweets since deleted, Deves encouraged her followers to visit the site stating that it was a "valuable" source of information.[16]

On 17 April 2023, Deves announced that she would be nominating to fill the Senate vacancy left by Jim Molan. If successful, she stated that she would oppose the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.[17] Deves pulled out of the contest on 23 April,[18] to focus on her legal defence for female-only social media platform Giggle for Girls. Giggle is being sued by a transgender woman after she was identified as a man and banned from the app. In June 2023, an application made by Deves to dismiss the case was rejected.[19] Also in June, Deves spoke at an anti-transgender event at Parliament House, Sydney, which included Victorian MLC Moira Deeming, and New South Wales MLCs John Ruddick, Tania Mihailuk, and Greg Donnelly.[20]

Deves is a monarchist.[21]

Deves lives in Manly Vale with her partner and three daughters.[2] She was injured after skiing at Thredbo, missing a party meeting.[22]

Deves is an active contributor to Sky News Australia and The Spectator, of which Rowan Dean is a host and editor, respectively.[23][24]