Tasmania's deputy premier clashes with Greens over conversion therapy ban bill

Tasmania's Deputy Premier and Attorney-General, Guy Barnett, has voiced strong opposition to a proposed bill by the Greens aimed at banning conversion practices. In a letter to the anti-trans group Women Speak Tasmania, Barnett labeled the bill as "fundamentally flawed" and "amongst the most extreme of its type in Australia."

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What exactly is the problem the Greens are seeking to fix?

Barnett's primary concerns center on the bill's potential to criminalize ordinary conversations within families, including discussions between parents and children about sexual orientation or gender identity. He also criticized the draft for being "broad and ambiguous," suggesting it could lead to unfair investigations based on misleading complaints.

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The draft Bill risks criminalising certain conversations between a parent and their child and conversations within families.

The Greens, however, maintain that their bill is necessary to protect vulnerable individuals from harm. Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff stated that Barnett's comments indicate a disregard for evidence showing conversion practices are still occurring. She emphasized that the proposed legislation aligns with laws already enacted in most other Australian states.

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Sadly, the draft Bill risks criminalising conversations and or prayers in a church or religious setting.

Equality Tasmania spokesperson Rodney Croome echoed these sentiments, asserting that conversion practices are harmful treatments for non-existent conditions, performed by unqualified individuals on vulnerable victims. He stressed that the bill aims to prohibit these damaging practices, which purport to "heal" individuals but instead cause deep harm.

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Our proposed bill isn't radical, it's directly in line with what other states have already legislated