Victorian Opposition Promised To Roll Back Gay Conversion ‘Therapy’ Ban, Claims Christian Lobby

It’s not even been two weeks since Matthew Guy once again claimed leadership of the Victorian Liberal Party after deposing his predecessor Michael O’Brien.

But already, it has been revealed by The Age, that the Victorian Liberal Party under the leadership of O’Brien had quietly promised the Australian Christian Lobby that if the Liberal Party was successful in toppling Daniel Andrews and Victorian Labor Party at next year’s elections, they will wind back the state’s “world-leading” law banning harmful conversion practices.

The Victorian Legislative Council had passed The Change Or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020  27-9 in February, without amendments and with bipartisan support from Labor, Greens, Cross-bench and some Liberal MPs. The Bill was passed in the Lower House on December 10, 2020. Liberal MPs had then abstained from the vote in the Lower House.

Addressing a conference room in Hobart on the 2^nd of September, at an Australian Christian Lobby event, managing director Martyn Iles claimed the Victorian Liberal party had given him a “written statement” stating that if elected they would “roll back” the contentious legislation.

Matthew Guy Tight-Lipped On Lobby’s Claims

New appointed leader Matthew Guy, as part of his charm offensive, was as recently as last week heard on Joy FM sprucing his parties’ merits on LGBTQI rights, asking listeners, “What’s important? What matters? What’s impacting you?”

“I don’t want you to think that there’s only one side that listens to you, that there’s only one side of politics that’s interested in issues. We’re all Victorians, it doesn’t matter what our sexuality, what our gender is,” Guy continued.

Yet, Guy has remained tight-lipped on the promises made to the Australian Christian Lobby, leaving it to two other members of the Liberal Party to confirm to The Age that yes, this promise had been made in an attempt to claw back some of the votes which they lost during the last state election.

If successful, it would be an incredibly low blow and one with devastating consequences for both survivors of conversion practices but also the broader LGBTQI communities.

The law says that anyone who subjects a person to conversion practices that causes serious injury can face up to 10 years in jail and/or a fine of up to $200,000. In case of injury the offender if convicted can be punished with a maximum prison term of up to five years and/or a fine of up to $100,000.

Liberals Targeted Safe Schools Program In 2018

Of course, such dastardly political moves from the Victorian Liberals should come as little surprise. During Victoria’s 2018 election campaign, Guy had vowed that the Safe Schools program would be abolished if the Coalition won the state election, believing that children should focus more on reading, writing and maths instead of learning “a politically correct gender and sexuality agenda”.

“Programs like Safe Schools add to curriculum clutter and impose a politically correct gender and sexuality agenda on schools,” a statement released by the Victorian Liberals in the lead up the election had stated.

If the Victorian Liberals decide to uphold its promise to the Australian Christian Lobby and are successful come next State Election, it is still unknown exactly how they plan to repeal the laws.

However, one thing is for certain, that the next Victorian State Election is going to be one fought with gloves off and one which promises to be an ugly fight if nothing else.

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