In what seems to be from a scene out of “Groundhog Day” and following backlash from all circles that the New Zealand Government isn’t moving fast enough in banning conversion therapy, including the fact that National, Green and Labour parties have all agreed to the ban, the NZ Minister of Justice has again reaffirmed the Government’s commitment, to ban conversion practices in New Zealand by this time next year.
“The Government has work underway to develop policy which will bring legislation to Parliament by the middle of this year and with the aim of having a ban passed into law by the end of this year, or by February 2022 – at the latest,” Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi has said today in a media statement.
Although the policy was listed on the Government’s list for its first term of Government from 2017-2020, and that a bill had been developed by one of their own party members, the current Minister seems to believe doing something in this term is fast enough.
“The fact that we are dealing with this issue in the first year of this term of Parliament clearly shows the level of priority it has in our legislative programme and shows our commitment to ban these cruel and damaging practices that can amount to coercion and mental abuse in the misguided belief that a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression needs to be treated or somehow ‘cured’, Faafoi said.
“There is no therapeutic purpose or medical basis for these conversion practices, which can cause real and lasting damage, particularly for vulnerable young people who are often the victims of these practices,” Kris Faafoi said.
He confirmed that the Ministry of Justice is working to draw up a law that will create a new criminal and/or civil offence which will prohibit conversion practices.
That work requires considering issues like how to define ‘conversion practices’, how legal protections would work and for whom, and whether conversion practices should be regulated by civil law in addition to criminal law, where civil penalties might be more appropriate than criminal liability.
“We know this is an important issue, which is why we made the Manifesto commitment before last year’s Election, and we want to ensure the legislation passes as quickly as possible so the Rainbow community and all those affected by these abhorrent practices are protected.
“We welcome that both the Green Party and National Party appear to share the Government’s position against conversion practices and we hope they’ll work constructively with us to ensure good, fair and robust legislation is put in place,” Faafoi said.
The Ministry of Justice will carry out targeted discussions with key stakeholders to ensure that the draft law will be fit for purpose and opportunities for public consultation and scrutiny through the select committee process.
Last Updated on Feb 22, 2021
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