A Labor gov will ban gay conversion therapy

Opposition Labor federal health minister Catherine King

The opposition Labor party has declared that banning gay conversion therapy will be a priority if it wins gov at the next federal election. This  comes after a Liberal party storm in the state of Victoria where the Young Liberals wanted gay conversion therapy to be adopted by the state Liberal opposition party in the soon to be election. It was shot down in flames by the older more moderate party members, somewhat aghast I suspect at the mere thought of it.

However it didn't end there. Soon after there was a bizarre interview with Liberal federal health minister Greg Hunt, who refused to condemn the notion Victorian Young Liberals put up for gay conversion therapy. He called it simply "another point of view" and got into a very strange confrontation with the ABC interviewer about "freedom of speech". Um, I guess that means like the freedom of speech they gave the nutters in the postal plebiscite to run LGBT's into the dirt?

What's more, acting prime minister (the one who replaced shamed Barnaby Joyce) Micheal McCormack also failed to condemn the intended Young Liberal's motion (pun intended). Trumbles is off somewhere jaunting about the world for whatever reason.

So Labor has responded thus:

Stamping out gay conversion therapy across Australia would be a "personal priority" for shadow health minister Catherine King if Labor wins the next election.

 Ms King has urged the rest of the country to follow Victoria's lead and ban the "discredited and dangerous" practice.

 "If this issue isn't resolved before the next election, and I'm lucky enough to serve as health minister afterwards, it'll be a personal priority for me," she told The Age newspaper on Saturday.

 Victoria has a Health Complaints Commissioner, which gives the state powers to crack down on unregistered practitioners making unproven claims, including those who purport to be able to 'convert' gay people. SBS

The Star Observer has more:

King spoke out against the ministers’ attitude about conversion therapy.

 “Conversion therapy is discredited and dangerous,” she wrote.

 “But shockingly, two Turnbull Government ministers—the Acting Prime Minister and the Health Minister—have now failed to condemn the practice when given the chance. This follows attempts by some Liberals to restore the practice in Victoria.

 “Greg Hunt and Michael McCormack’s comments were ignorant and incredibly hurtful, and fly in the face of expert advice.”

 King quoted the Australian Medical Association in calling conversion therapy “harmful to both the individuals who are subjected to it, and society more broadly, as it perpetuates the erroneous belief that homosexuality is a disorder which requires a cure”.

 She added that the World Medical Association has said that conversion has “no medical indication and represent[s] a serious threat to the health and human rights of those so treated”.

 “Labor agrees. That’s why we’re calling on the Turnbull Government to clarify its stance on gay conversion therapy urgently—and work with the states to ban it,” King wrote. Star Observer

I almost feel like voting Labor instead of Greens this coming election, but FFS they have to get humane with refugees. They're dragging their feet on this for the sake of a few western Sydney redneck seats. Why should they dictate Australian policy?