Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to acknowledge at the outset the multiple, varied and plural views that we hold in this society. From whatever quarter we come from, from whatever ethnic or cultural background we hold, it is important that we embrace those different views, that we celebrate what makes us different, separate, but also what brings us together. As part of a democracy in this country, as part of one inclusive and tolerant society, we do celebrate those differences. We agree to disagree on the things we can't see fit to meet on and, importantly, acknowledge that people have differences of opinion. That is the beauty of this democracy and this nation of which we are a part.

In my home state of Tasmania, there's an issue that's been bubbling away for a period of time now. It's a report from the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute on an issue that is of importance to many in our community—both the faith community and secular households. The report by this entity, the TLRI, is on the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity conversion practices. It's something that's caused a great deal of concern in our community, and unnecessarily so, I say, because this institute has, in my view, gone well beyond its remit by making recommendations about law reform and changes to law which I think would be harmful to our tolerant and pluralistic society—not necessarily just for households that adhere to certain faiths but for parents generally. I think it would undermine everything that is good about our country, because it isn't just about recognising that there are differences and that there are people in our community who have different views, different beliefs and a different way of living; it is, in fact, about vilifying people who disagree with you on those sorts of things.

So, as the Tasmanian government considers the report from the TLRI on an important issue that is of great import to many in my community, I think it's important to consider the impact of the recommendations—and there were many that were put forward by the TLRI, 16 in total. There were a number of them, relating to health and psychiatric practices, which I wholeheartedly agree with. The barbaric practices, both health and psychiatric, relating to what's known as gay conversion therapy that have been implemented in the past should be condemned. They should be absolutely outlawed by every jurisdiction in this country.

But I think the further recommendations, about reforms to the Anti-Discrimination Act and related laws, are something that we should pause to think about, because it isn't about simply banning particular practices and making sure people feel included. This has a far further-reaching impact, and it is something the people of Tasmania, and indeed the government of Tasmania, should stop and think about before they act on the second tranche of recommendations.

As I said before, the first tranche—which are very much about ensuring that those barbaric, outdated practices, which have no place in the world we live in today, never occur again—should be agreed to, and any laws required should be adopted by the Tasmanian parliament. But the second tranche go far further, relating to practices in the households of Christian and other faith based communities. Households that might pray at dinnertime for the future of their children may well find themselves in breach of the law. Parents or teachers of a secular background, who might well seek to unpack the issues that a youth is facing, might, again, find themselves in breach of the law. That is not good. That is bad. That is the law and the state overreaching, in my view, and I urge the Tasmanian government—and I look to colleagues like Lara Alexander in the Tasmanian parliament, who I think has said many good things on these issues—to pause and consider what impact might flow from Tasmanian legislation on these issues. This is an inclusive and tolerant society, and long should it be. But we should not, in place of past discrimination, find ourselves imposing new discrimination.

Senate adjourned at 20:18