Deputy Premier and Attorney-General Guy Barnett has responded to Women Speak Tasmania (WST) following our submission concerning the Tasmanian Greens’ draft Conversion Practices Prohibition Bill 2026.
On 28 August, Mr Barnett wrote to WST in response to our concerns about the proposed legislation.
Women Speak Tasmania President Dr Elizabeth Caballero said:
“We most certainly agree with Deputy Premier Guy Barnett that the Greens’ Bill is both ‘fundamentally flawed’ and ‘extreme’.”
“WST has replied to the Deputy Premier urging his Government to establish a Parliamentary Inquiry into Affirmative Care and Conversion Practices before any Conversion Practices Bill is debated.”
“WST has urged the Government to properly consider the extensive, evidence-based documentation and testimonies we have provided since January 2025.”
“The Government has also received submissions from LGB Alliance Australia, the Affiliation of Australian Women’s Advocacy Alliances and many Tasmanian citizens who have independently raised concerns about the adverse impacts of existing anti-discrimination laws, which could be further eroded by the Greens’ extremist Bill.”
“WST understands that many of the submissions sent to the Greens, and subsequently provided to the Government, are deeply personal.”
“WST welcomes the Greens’ response to our call for transparency and their decision to publish submissions where approval has been provided by those who made them.”
“Many people who have made submissions would not want their evidence made public for a range of reasons, including concerns about privacy, trauma, fear of reprisal, vilification, harassment, employment consequences, economic repercussions, boycotts or adverse consequences within professional, social or community networks.”
“Importantly, the Greens’ Bill intends to criminalise certain speech and expressions of political, scientific, cultural or religious opinion, including opinions held within Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and other religious communities. The Bill also appears capable of criminalising certain conversations within families and in health and education settings.”
“Worse, the Bill establishes what amounts to a quasi-inquisition into speech, based on anonymous complaints made to the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner.”
“In August 2003, the Coalition for Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (CICSA) pushed for a Commission of Inquiry that would ultimately take until 15 March 2021 to be established and would not report until 31 August 2023 — approximately 20 years after the initial call for an inquiry.”
“WST does not want a repeat of the lack of stakeholder consultation that preceded the fast-tracking by the Greens of sex self-ID laws in 2019, the adverse consequences of which have often tragically impacted many Tasmanians, especially children.”
“We have urged the Government, as a matter of duty of care and urgency, to delay no further.”
“Only a Parliamentary Inquiry can do justice to such an important public health and human rights issue, which could potentially have long-term adverse impacts on children and the human rights of all citizens — not just LGBTQI people.”
ENDS
Media Contact:
Dr Elizabeth Caballero, retired GP,
President, Women Speak Tasmania
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