Critics of conversion bill not serious about ending harm
Further inquiries into overdue bill unnecessary
Equality Tasmania has accused critics of Tasmania’s proposed bill prohibiting conversion practices of not being serious about ending the deadly practices.
Equality Tasmania spokesperson, Rodney Croome said the problem is very clear.
“This bill is about prohibiting treatments that don’t work for a condition that doesn’t exist undertaken by people who aren’t qualified on victims who will be deeply harmed.”
“National and local studies, including research commissioned by Guy Barnett’s own government, show that 1 in 20 LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians are duped into conversion practices and that as a result they have PTSD and attempt suicide at 3 to 4 times the rate of other LGBTIQA+ people.”
“The problem the bill is trying to solve is that conversion practices purport to ‘heal' vulnerable LGBTIQA+ people but actually deeply harm and sometimes kill them."
Mr Croome said the Tasmanian bill is made up of elements from existing legislation in other states where none of the problems Mr Barnett fears have come to pass.
“The Tasmanian bill is made up of provisions from legislation in Victoria and NSW where no-one has been convicted for a conversation or a prayer, as Mr Barnett claims would happen in Tasmania.”
"The sky hasn’t fallen in in the other states and it won’t fall in here either.”
“Mr Barnett’s conversion bill, unveiled in 2023, had so many holes it would have encouraged conversion practices rather than ended them.”
“His ill-informed attack on the key provisions of the current bill shows he isn’t serious about ending conversion practices and the harm they inflict."
Both Mr Barnett and Women Speak Tasmania called for a further inquiry, despite a comprehensive Tasmanian Law Reform Institute inquiry released in 2022, despite a consultation on Mr Barnett’s bill in 2023-24 and despite the Greens’ extensive consultation on their proposed bill which has just concluded.
Mr Croome said,
“There comes a point when further consultation is just about delaying what is an already overdue reform."
“Tasmania risks being the last state to prohibit conversion practices just as we were the last state to decriminalise homosexuality."
WST's media statement is attached with Mr Barnett's correspondence on the final page.
A news report can be found here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-29/guy-barnett-conversion-practice-concerns-greens-bill/107093310
For a copy of this statement on the web, click here
For further information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.
