Ms O'CONNOR question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
Yesterday we asked you about the dangerous rhetoric of your federal Liberal colleague, the odious Senator Alex Antic. You were reasonably clear: you do not support language that marginalises, discriminates against or demonises LGBTIQ+ people. Given your views on and past advocacy for LGBITQ+ Tasmanians, are you concerned that one of your backbenchers is hosting an event in this parliament which clearly supports dangerous unscientific conversion therapy and questions the very existence of transgender people and their rights to self-determination? Did you know about this event? Do you agree it has the potential to cause harm to transgender Tasmanians? Will you, today, give a rock solid commitment that you will move to ban conversion therapy in Tasmania to protect LGBTIQ+ people from bigoted cranks and pseudo-medical quacks?
Mr SPEAKER - Just making the point, I am not sure that an event hosted in this place privately comes under the jurisdiction of the Premier. If the Premier wishes to make a comment he can.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for Clark for her question. My views on this matter are on the record, as are my commitments.
Ms O'Connor - Commit to a ban on conversion therapy.
Mr ROCKLIFF - We have.
Ms O'Connor interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER - Order, Ms O'Connor. There has already been one person ejected from this Chamber for having a conversation with the Premier who is trying to answer the question. Unless you wish to follow him, I suggest you listen to the answer.
Mr ROCKLIFF - We have clearly on the record said that. We are acting on that and we take great interest in the Law Reform Institute report. I am not going to muzzle free speech either and people's opportunity to express a view. I might disagree with that view, clearly, given my public comments on the record. My commitments that I said prior to the last election and following election since I have been Premier remain very clear of my commitment to bring legislation to this House.