SW News:

Melbourne Archbishop, Peter A Comensoli, has expressed his concern over ‘Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020’, which was introduced in the parliament of Victoria seeking to ban ‘conversion therapies’. 

“I encourage every action to protect people from harm. A bill that protected people would have my full support,” the archbishop stated, adding that the “bill doesn’t merely do what it claims.” Archbishop Comensoli pointed out that "it targets prayer and appears to impose silence on people of faith from sharing their beliefs in an open, honest and faithful way.” 

He also mentioned that the bill restricts the parents of their right to guide and “to speak plainly and honestly” with their children. It also prevents an adult from “seeking whatever guidance and pastoral support they seek concerning deeply personal matters.” 

The archbishop insisted that the government cannot interfere in an individual’s faith, “what a person prays for, who they pray to, who they pray with, or what conversations happen between members of a family.” 

"The ultimate outcome of this bill may not actually be to protect anyone who is vulnerable, but to silence people of faith from expressing a view,” concluded the archbishop. 

The Victorian opposition leader, Mr. Michael O’Brien, has called for a delay in the progress of the bill, so that there would be time for consultations with religious groups on the matter.