The Tasmanian Greens have released draft laws to ban conversion practices, joining a national push to outlaw attempts to change or suppress a person’s sexuality or gender identity.
The bill would create criminal offences for carrying out and promoting conversion practices and establish a prevention scheme run by the anti-discrimination commissioner.
Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff said the bill’s priority was to stop conversion practices from happening in the first place.
“It’s well past time for Tasmania to join mainland states in finally banning conversion practices,” she said.
“This is an essential step in continuing to make Tasmania a safer, kinder, fairer and more inclusive place for all people.”
Woodruff said the party had spent two years developing the bill with legal experts, advocates and survivors.
Conversion practices are attempts to change, suppress or eradicate a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
They remain legal in Tasmania. Bans have already passed in Victoria, the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
Equality Tasmania helped develop the bill and welcomed its release.
Spokesperson Rodney Croome said the reform would improve mental health outcomes.
“Conversion practices are cruel and futile quackery that inflict deep damage,” he said.
“Although we have been calling for reform since 2016, Tasmania has now fallen behind other states and risks becoming a haven for conversion practices unless we act quickly.”
Labor MP Ella Haddad said Labor had long supported a ban and welcomed the bill.
She said the “ban has gone nowhere” since government promises to act several years ago.
“It’s difficult to believe the rising conservative element of the Tasmanian Liberals hasn’t played a role in the premier’s go-slow and with One Nation circling, it will be telling to see how the Liberals react,” Haddad said.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said he had “always supported a ban on conversion practices”, which he described as “harmful”.
“I’ve made my views very clear when it comes to the banning of conversion practices in Tasmania,” he said.
“We’ve done a large amount of work on this since 2022 when it comes to consultation with key stakeholders. We’ve got draft legislation as well.”
Health Minister Bridget Archer also backed a ban in principle, but said she would wait to see the detail.
“I have had a long-standing personal commitment to improving the law and indeed improving the lives of LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians,” she said.
