Page 2259 - Week 07 - Thursday, 27 August 2020
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be achieved before the implementation date which is stated in this very legislation. The legislation kicks in in six months’ time. Therefore, I think that there is plenty of time to undertake such an inquiry and to do so without any delay for the principle of banning harmful conversion practices.
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Social Inclusion and Equality, Minister for Tourism and Special Events and Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment) (3.38): As I indicated in my closing remarks and the in-principle stage, the government will not be supporting any referrals to committees.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Minister for Corrections and Justice Health, Minister for Justice, Consumer Affairs and Road Safety and Minister for Mental Health) (3.38): The Greens will not be supporting this proposal for referral to committee, either.
Question resolved in the negative.
Clauses 1 to 6 agreed to.
Proposed new clause 6A.
MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (3.38): I seek leave to move amendments to this bill that have not been considered by the scrutiny committee or circulated in accordance with standing order 178A.
Leave granted.
MR COE: I move amendment No 1 circulated in my name, which inserts a new clause 6A [see schedule 4 at page 2328]. Because of the haste in which this has been introduced and debated, it was not possible for these amendments to go through to the scrutiny committee. The amendments I move today are about supporting families and teachers in their support of kids and vulnerable Canberrans. I seek to put in the legislation Mr Rattenbury’s comment in his speech that this act will not affect the ability of religious organisations or schools to teach the tenets of their faith. Given that Mr Rattenbury said this in his speech, I hope that he has got no objection to including this in the legislation.
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Social Inclusion and Equality, Minister for Tourism and Special Events and Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment) (3.39): This amendment seeks to introduce a further object into the act. The government will not support doing this in this way. Rather than put a substantive clause into the bill, the amendment that I will move shortly will specifically state the bill’s intent that a mere expression of religious tenet or belief would not constitute a sexuality or gender identity conversion practice. This is very clear in the amendment that I move, and it is the government’s preference to support this way of achieving the same objective.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Minister for Corrections and Justice Health, Minister for Justice, Consumer Affairs
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