CONVERSION PRACTICES
822. Ms L.L. BAKER to the Attorney General:
I
refer to the evidence presented to the Education and Health Standing Committee's
inquiry into the Esther Foundation about
people being subjected to harmful and dangerous LGBTQIA+ suppression and
conversion practices and the committee's specific recommendation
that conversion practices be banned in Western Australia. Can the Attorney General
please update the house on today's announcement by the McGowan Labor
government that we will ban this harmful practice?
Mr J.R.
QUIGLEY replied:
I am able to confirm that the
McGowan government will be introducing legislation to outlaw, and make a crime,
conversion therapy—that is, therapy designed to change the sexual
attraction of a particular person. It is founded on a fallacy that a gay person or a lesbian person is somehow broken and
that their brokenness can be fixed by praying away the gay or by
subjecting them to other strictures, counselling and pressure to get them to
change their sexual attraction to another gender. We know now that the
overwhelming evidence is that such practices lead to the subject feeling acute distress, depression,
suicidal thoughts and feelings of guilt. We know all this based on the
compelling evidence presented by the Australian Medical Association, the
Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal Australian and New
Zealand College of Psychiatrists, all of which unanimously oppose conversion
therapy as being dangerous and harmful to the person.
The McGowan government will be
introducing legislation, as I said, to outlaw these practices. I realise that
we might get some pushback from the extreme right, evangelicals or others who
practise these —
Several members interjected.
Mr J.R. QUIGLEY: Did anyone
mention Hon Nick Goiran?
We realise that we might get some
pushback, but the community is over it and embracing of all members. People who
have been subjected to these practices are often young and vulnerable people
who have had their lives significantly damaged. As I said, we will be outlawing
this practice, but we will have a carve out and an exception for medical
practitioners and psychiatrists who are counselling people because there might
be some young people who are confused and
still making up their mind who seek counselling from a doctor, a psychiatrist
or a psychologist. We would say that their practices are all regulated
and governed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. If they
go too far or introduce some notions into their counselling that are abhorrent,
they will be dealt with under their own ethical programs.
I look forward to the day next year
of rising to seek your call, Speaker, to second read in a bill that outlaws
this practice in Western Australia forever.
Visitor — Kelvin
Matthews
The
SPEAKER: On behalf of the member for North West Central, I would
like to acknowledge a guest in the gallery—Mr Kelvin Matthews, CEO of
the Shire of Meekatharra. Welcome.