Premier Jeremy Rockliff has backed the Greens’ conversion practices bill after shaping its amendments, while Labor leader Josh Willie accused the government of using “children and faith to attack vulnerable Tasmanians.”
Speaking as debate on the bill began in the House of Assembly today, Rockliff said “we do need to prohibit this practice”.
“So the overriding question for me is not whether the legislation is necessary, but how we legislate to prevent conversion practices and protect Tasmanians,” he said.
Rockliff revealed he had given the Greens “several areas for amendment”, including rewording protections for religious organisations and parents and raising the threshold for investigations to “material contraventions”.
He also asked for the bill’s five-year review to examine any adverse effects on civil liberties, free speech, freedom of association and parental rights.
Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff will move amendments reflecting those changes, including expressly protecting “a sermon, religious education, pastoral care” and extending the exemption for parents to guardians.
“The brutal fact is that you cannot consent to harm,” Rockliff said, adding he reserved his right to vote on other amendments.
Willie said Labor would vote for the bill “as one”, accusing some Liberal MPs of choosing to put “children and religion out front as a shield”.
“They have chosen to frighten parents into believing they will be prosecuted for loving their kids,” he said.
“It’s disgusting and shameful.”
Deputy Premier Guy Barnett said the bill was “fundamentally flawed” and he could not support it, arguing it was “very unclear what actions are to be considered unlawful”.
Woodruff told parliament the bill protected “free speech, faith teaching, pastoral care, conversations with children and between doctor and patient where a person’s intent is not to deny someone the ability to be themselves”.
Liberal backbencher Michael Ferguson tabled an e-petition signed by about 4,296 people urging the House to reject the bill and hold a public inquiry.
Ferguson said the Greens had circulated amendments the night before and the day of the debate.
“It has turned into policy chaos on the floor of the house,” he said.
“They’re effectively admitting that their bill is so messy that it needs 23 separate amendments.”
Asked whether the amendments to protect sermons and religious education addressed his concerns, Ferguson said: “I think it highlights that they’ve not been listening, they could have improved the bill based on the submissions which they buried and refused to publish.”
He said the Greens were “trying to save their bill from defeat” and were “attempting to control what people are allowed to think, believe and say”.
“I am totally against coercion and harmful treatment of fellow Tasmanians,” he said.
Ferguson said any ban should be more like the laws in South Australia and New South Wales, which were “clearly defined and targeted laws, not this extraordinary 88-page complexity which dives deep into family and business and non-government organisations’ lives”.
Asked about the premier’s position, Ferguson said he was “not as concerned about people supporting the principle of a ban on harmful, abusive and coercive practices”.
“I’m more concerned about the extra layers of social engineering and controls that the Greens have bolted on to the original idea,” he said.
Independent Clark MP Kristie Johnston, who tabled petitions supporting a ban signed by about 675 and 5,121 people, said Tasmanians had waited four years since the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute recommended one.
Conversion practices are attempts to change, suppress or eradicate a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity and are banned in Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
Health Minister Bridget Archer has said she is likely to support the bill, while Labor and several crossbenchers have also indicated support.
Debate is expected to continue today and tomorrow.
