An Overreach Of Monumental Proportions
Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, last night voted against the Change or Suppression (Conversion) Prohibition Bill 2020.
After receiving thousands of emails and correspondence from constituents and concerned citizens and groups from across Victoria and Australia, Mrs McArthur used these broad-ranging views to support her contribution to the long debate.
“I could not in good conscience vote for this Bill in the form in which it came before the parliament. Given the Opposition’s sensible amendments were rejected, I had no choice but to vote against it,” Mrs McArthur said.
While the Bill was passed 27/9, Mrs McArthur and fellow Liberal, Bernie Finn, voted with seven cross bench MPs to oppose the legislation.
“There is no doubt that coercive and harmful practices should be banned – they have no genuine religious justification, nor any scientific or medical plausibility.
“Without the amendments – we are left with legislation which goes way beyond these laudable aims – criminalising discussion between parents and their children, restricting the advice counsellors and doctors can provide and removing from individuals their right to freely seek pastoral care from religious ministers.
“Unfortunately, the Bill casts its net widely and vaguely and goes well beyond what it is necessary to protect vulnerable individuals from harm.
“In the name of outlawing harmful interventions, this Government has produced a Bill with an overreach of monumental proportions”.
In response to her speech to parliament, Mrs McArthur has received a huge volume of thanks.
“I voted against the Bill because I didn’t enter the parliament to turn parents, teachers, medical professionals, faith practitioners into criminals.
“That’s effectively what this legislation entails – a 10-year jail sentence and fine if you counsel or advice anybody under 18 against transition intervention.
Calling it the ‘Gay Conversion Bill’ is hugely misleading – unfortunately it’s about so much more.
“This is not about sexuality. This is about radical medical procedures that might change someone’s life.
“If people are over 18 and adults, they can make their own decision. But I find it difficult to think that parents could not talk to their children before or during puberty about this for fear of it being considered criminal.
“We don’t allow children to drive alone, drink, get a tattoo or vote – but this Bill allows them to take radical chemical and surgical action in a life-changing way.”
Mrs McArthur said children experiencing sexual dysphoria need more of the best wide-ranging advice they can get.
“They need all the help they can get – not less. This is going to reduce the amount of advice and counsel they can receive – especially professionally. I think that’s wrong.”
Psychologists, psychiatrists, barristers and doctors are among those to contact Mrs McArthur, all worried that this Bill will restrict them giving full and considered advice.
“If they do, these professionals now run the risk of going to jail. They can be reported anonymously by a third party to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission who can refer such reports to the police.
“If you put laws in place that allow enforcement of these sorts of rules and regulations, you have to expect them to implemented and enforced.”
“Victoria is a different place today but sadly, many with gender dysphoria issues may well be worse off.”
5 February 2021