Passing of conversion practice ban a 'landmark day' for Tasmania

Laws banning conversion practices have passed Tasmania's lower house in what advocates have heralded as a "landmark day" for survivors and the entire LGBTIQA+ community.

The Greens legislation passed on the voices, meaning no formal vote was cast, with the support of Labor, four of the seven independent MPs and Liberals Jeremy Rockliff, Bridget Archer and Roger Jaensch.

The legislation bans the practices, defined as attempts to change, suppress or eradicate a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, four years after the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute recommended they be outlawed.

Research by La Trobe University has found one in 20 young queer Tasmanians have experienced them, and that they are associated with a higher suicide risk.

The bill will progress to the upper house.

If the legislation passes, Western Australia and the Northern Territory will be the only Australian jurisdictions where conversion practices remain legal, although the West Australian Labor government has made multiple commitments to ban them.

Campaigner 'overjoyed' by progress

Equality Tasmania campaigner Rodney Croome said he was overjoyed for survivor-advocates that the "important and overdue" legislation had passed the House of Assembly.

"They have bared their souls. They've talked about some really traumatic events in their lives in order to see this legislation pass,"

Mr Croome said.

"So I'm really hoping that they feel that it was worthwhile and that they are optimistic for a Tasmania where these practices no longer occur."

"I'm particularly pleased that the bill has cross-party support and that none of the attempts to try and weaken the bill and to allow conversion practices to continue have been successful.

"I think that sends a strong message to the Tasmanian Upper House, that this legislation has mainstream support, that it's not extreme in any way, and that it's time to get on and ban conversion practices in Tasmania once and for all."

Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff said her party was "so proud" the bill had passed the lower house, which she said was a result of years of campaigning from the LGBTIQA+ community.

"Central to the debate were victim survivors who've bravely told their stories, and advocates, families of LGBTIQA+ Tasmanians who have spoken up against these devastatingly harmful practices," Ms Woodruff said.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff, who granted his Liberal MPs a conscience vote on the legislation, said Tasmania had, in his personal view, "taken a significant step forward today".

"One could never understate how meaningful the progress of this bill would be for victim-survivors of harmful conversion practices and their lived experience," he said.

Lower house MPs debated the bill for almost 20 hours, with opponents, including Treasurer Eric Abetz and Deputy Premier Guy Barnett, labelling the legislation "overreach".

The bill states multiple things that are not defined as conversion practices, including a health practitioner providing health services that they consider appropriate, participating in online debate, religious prayer or parents discussing matters relating to sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual activity or religion with their children.

Multiple amendments to the legislation were made, including the removal of a clause which would have made employers legally liable for offences committed by their employees, unless the employer could not have known of or prevented the offending.

Women Speak Tasmania's Isla MacGregor said the legislation was an "attack on freedom of speech", and said the bill should have been referred to a parliamentary committee to examine its "real ramifications and implications".

Independent Bass MP George Razay's bid for the vote to be delayed until a parliamentary committee had examined the legislation was defeated yesterday evening.