OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has mandated Justice Minister David Lametti to move forward with a ban on conversion therapy, a practice that is 鈥渘o doubt鈥� still occurring in Canada, according to a senator who has been pushing for reforms.
Lametti work with Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth Bardish Chagger to amend the Criminal Code to ban the practice, as outlined in his mandate letter from Trudeau that was made public on Dec. 13, and which builds on a 2019 federal campaign commitment.
He has also been tasked with taking 鈥渙ther steps required with the provinces and territories to end conversion therapy in Canada.鈥�
Conversion therapy seeks to change a person鈥檚 sexual orientation or gender identity, often through religious counselling. The practice has been widely discredited and disparaged by several health and human rights groups, but these therapies are believed to still be offered in Canada.
鈥淭here is no doubt that the practice is still in existence in Canada. It's not visible, it's like a submarine. It's below the water level. But everyone knows that it's there,鈥� said Non-Affiliated Sen. Serge Joyal in an interview with CTVNews.ca, a day before Lametti鈥檚 mandate letter was issued.
Joyal, who two days into this session , seeking reforms to the Criminal Code to crack down on the practice after unsuccessfully advancing a similar bill in the last parliament, said that the feedback and personal stories he heard at the time indicate that 鈥渢he practice is still on.鈥�
His bill proposes to make it an offence to advertise conversion therapy services and to obtain financial or other material benefits from providing conversion therapy to anyone under the age of 18.
It鈥檚 possible the Liberals will be looking to go further with their reforms, but minister Lametti鈥檚 office did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
In an interview with CTVNews.ca a day before Lametti鈥檚 mandate letter was issued, Joyal said that he was expecting the government to act on a national ban, after the conversation around conversion therapy intensified on the campaign trail, but Joyal still wanted to get the ball rolling in an effort to 鈥渟ignal to the government and to the party in the House of Commons that we are aware of their commitment and we hope that they鈥檙e going to stand by their electoral platform commitment.鈥�
During the election the Liberals committed to prohibit the 鈥渉armful and scientifically disproven practice.鈥�
Joyal, who is set to retire before the Senate resumes sitting in 2020 will be passing the torch on advancing his bill to Independent Sen. Rene Cormier, said that he鈥檇 be supportive if in the end the Liberals decide to advance their own legislation instead of backing his bill. Though he said that given the uncertainty still about where this policy ranks in terms of the government鈥檚 priorities, the Senate could 鈥渃hart the course鈥� and move the conversation along considerably through his bill before the Liberals get to it.
鈥淲e have to keep the subject visible in Parliament,鈥� Cormier said.
The Senator said he is optimistic about the progress made in public opinion on the issue over the last few years.
The Liberals鈥� stance now is an evolution on the government鈥檚 position just months ago when their position was that health regulations are a provincial and territorial responsibility and instead implored the provinces to take this initiative on. In their pitch to the provinces the Liberals did say they were 鈥渁ctively examining potential Criminal Code reforms to better prevent, punish, and deter this discredited and dangerous practice.鈥�
During the election, now-outgoing Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said that a Conservative government would 鈥渟upport and introduce鈥� legislation that 鈥減rotects LGBTQ Canadians,鈥� but amending the Criminal Code to ban conversion therapy.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, on the other hand, slammed the Liberals for not acting sooner, saying it鈥檚 something his party has already advocated for, would continue to pursue, and is very likely to support when it comes to a vote.
