I am very disturbed by the recommendations in the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute’s Report titled, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conversion Practices. The Report recommends banning a wide range of conduct for parents, health practitioners and religious and other leaders. At the same time, the Report acknowledges there is “no data about the nature and prevalence of SOGI conversion practices in Tasmania.” It relies on so-called anecdotal evidence which included “pseudonymous, anonymous and confidential submissions,” some of which were provided by activist organisations and which may not have occurred in Tasmania, over an unspecified period of time, none of which was tested. Please ensure that a proper inquiry is conducted before any steps are taken to implement recommendations from the Report.

I am shocked by the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute’s recommendations in the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conversion Practices report. The Report says, “no domain or area of conduct should be excised from the definition of conversion practices [2.7.22].” This means that if a parent who knows their child is being influenced by others seeks to help them, they will breach the law and may face criminal sanction. Parents should not be criminalised for talking to their children about gender and sexual practices in an unfettered way. The law has no place at Tasmanian’s kitchen tables! TLRI researchers have no authority to tell Tasmanians how to act. Please reject the recommendations in this Report.

I am deeply concerned about the recommendations in the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute’s report - Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conversion Practices. The Report does not address the considerable evidence of the need to adopt a ‘wait and see’ attitude to gender confused children. It gives no weight to the evidence of harm done through child gender transition treatment. Keira Bell said, “I do not believe I had fully processed the surgical procedure to remove my breasts and how major it really was. I made a brash decision as a teenager and I have to spend the rest of my life negatively affected. I cannot reverse the physical, mental or legal changes I went through.” Any type of conversion laws will cause more children to be funneled into experimental, irreversible treatments. Doctors have raised this concern, as reported in The Australian on 3 June 2022. The headline read, New state ‘anti-conversion’ laws ‘threaten treatment of kids’, say doctors I urge you, as my representative in Government, to reject the Report and ensure that a proper inquiry is conducted. My vote in the next election will depend on this.

The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conversion Practices report – produced the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute – is a blatant attack on Christian churches. The Report focuses on attacking alleged church practices, despite the evidence being untested and untestable. It even presumes to ban Bible study small groups and listening to sermons. This is interference by the State in religion. Will the Government next ban the Bible and the Quran? Please ensure there is a proper inquiry conducted before any steps are taken to implement the recommendations in the TLRI Report.