Police Minister Felix Ellis and Liberal backbencher Michael Ferguson say they will vote against the Greens’ bill to ban conversion practices in Tasmania.
Ellis confirmed Liberal MPs will have a conscience vote on the bill, something Premier Jeremy Rockliff, who supports a ban, had previously said he would allow.
In a Facebook post this morning, Ellis said doctors, psychologists, counsellors and parents “could face the law for taking a careful, cautious approach with a distressed young person”.
“Being a teenager is a confusing time and young people distressed about their body deserve our love and care,” he said.
“Going slowly and making parents and children aware of the risks and other pathways is not a harmful conversion practice.”
Ellis said the Cass Review in the UK described that approach as good practice and argued the UK government had protected clinical judgement in its own draft ban.
He said the Greens’ bill “writes one contested medical model into law”.
“These decisions belong with children, families and the clinicians who know them best,” he said.
Ferguson, the former deputy premier, called the 88-page bill “extreme” and “authoritarian” in a blog post.
He argued its definition of conversion practices was broad enough to capture ordinary conversations and prayer and prevent people from counselling young people against transitioning.
Ferguson said South Australia’s law expressly protected parents and religious teaching, but the Greens had gone “much further”.
“… I am deeply concerned about the growing social and activist pressure on young people around sex and gender,” he wrote.
“Children who are questioning themselves need time, love, support and the freedom to work things through.”
Ferguson said he would work with other MPs, including supporters of the bill, on amendments “that protect people from genuine abuse while protecting individual choice”.
“It won’t be possible for anyone to justify this extreme, complex, authoritarian 88-page law to any reasonable Tasmanian,” he said.
Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff tabled the bill on September 10. It would create criminal offences and establish a conversion practices commissioner.
The Greens say the bill exempts health services that meet professional standards, statements of religious teaching and parents discussing sexuality and gender with their children.
Greens MP Tabatha Badger today acknowledged opposition from “conservative members” of the Liberal Party.
“If anyone across the parliament, as we have already seen in the last few months, wants to work with the Greens to strengthen the bill, then we welcome that,” she said.
Rockliff, speaking in Ross, said his views on the issue were known but acknowledged there was “overreach” and “rough edges” in the bill.
“The number one objective is to stamp out harmful conversion practices,” he said.
“But what we need to do is ensure freedom of religion and freedom of speech is not impinged.”
“I am looking at this matter and giving it due diligence and respect as people would expect me to do.”
Equality Tasmania spokesperson Rodney Croome said the organisation welcomed the conscience vote and urged all MPs to meet with conversion survivors.
“There is no evidence the sky has fallen in in other states and it won’t fall in in Tasmania,” he said.
A 2022 Tasmanian Law Reform Institute report found conversion practices were still occurring in Tasmania and identified harms including anxiety, depression and suicide. It recommended a ban.
Labor and several crossbenchers have indicated support, with the Greens hoping to debate the bill this year.
