Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

We know that, Senator Rice, because the yes people—the yes campaign, the marriage equality people—talked about, identified and highlighted the fact that Christian Australians, and I count myself as a Christian Australian, can be very sympathetic and do have a willingness and an interest in making sure that the personal journey of young LGBTIQ people in our country is as painless as it can possibly be. It will never be painless: we know that.

Surely, what we should be doing as parliamentarians is talking about and concentrating on those things that unite us and that give us a common sense of purpose so that Senator Rice, Senator Pratt, Senator Smith and Senator Wong can walk out of this place as a united voice for the concerns of LGBTIQ Australians. I want our national leaders to be the best that they can be in understanding the importance of these issues. I absolutely do. As a modest coalition backbench senator, I will continue to be a strong, sensible voice for these issues when they are raised in the government. Our country has come a long way and if we are to learn anything from the events of last year surely it is that we can rise above the temptation.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Well, the conduct of my party is probably my responsibility, first and foremost. I like to think that I, with Senator Hume and others, have made my party the best it can possibly be. That doesn't mean it doesn't disappoint me and other Liberals in the community, but many of us are doing the best we can possibly do, sometimes in very challenging circumstances.

I think it's worth sharing with the Senate what it was that Mr Morrison, the Prime Minister now, the Treasurer then, said in the House of Representatives when the House was debating the marriage bill. I think this is very instructive. I'll let Mr Morrison's words speak for themselves, and people are free to find this quote for themselves. On Monday, 4 December of last year, Mr Morrison made his contribution to the Marriage Amendment Definition of Religious Freedoms Bill of 2017:

As Christians we do not lay claim to perfection or moral precedence; in fact it is the opposite: conscious of our own frailties and vanities, of our human condition, Christians should be more conscious of the same in those around us. That is why faith encourages social responsibility, the bedrock of faith in action.

What was important about the marriage debate last year was that we were part of a very significant and important social reform. I have argued privately in the last few days that if the postal survey were to be held again perhaps we should have two. We should have a postal survey 12 months after the passage of the bill and ask people who voted no if they have changed their minds. I think we know the answer to that. We got a very good outcome in the postal survey. If the postal survey were to be conducted again, we would get a better outcome. I'm opposed to the postal survey as a matter of principle—everyone knows that—but you know what I'm trying to say.

What's important here is that we have to accept the fact that even in our own parties—even in our own parties, Senator Dodson—there would be people with different points of view. I would rather someone be honest about their hesitation, honest about their concerns, if they have them, than hide them or pretend to be the person they're not. And we lost the Prime Minister, Mr Turnbull, because, to my mind, he pretended to be the person he was not.

These are important issues and the record is very clear. We have just seen in this Senate chamber a very clear enunciation of what the government's position is. It's worth reading it into the Senate Hansard. Senator Fifield made this contribution only a few moments ago:

The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 provides protection from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status in areas of public life. Conversion therapies aim to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, and there is no scientific or medical evidence to support their use.

That is the government's position. Senator Fifield continued:

This issue is one for states and territories—

That is a constitutional reality—

to monitor and take appropriate action.

And I am someone who agrees they should take appropriate action. He continues:

For example, the Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner can investigate unregistered doctors and health service providers making unethical representations—including conversion therapists. Queensland and Western Australia are also considering whether law reform is needed to outlaw this therapy.

I argue that very few people in this country believe that conversion therapy is right, good or necessary.