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In 2018, two petitions were presented to Parliament calling for a ban on conversion therapy. The Justice Select Committee responded at the time by saying that while there was agreement that conversion therapy was harmful, “more work needs to be done” before any decision is made to ban it.
Labor MP Grant Robertson says he has not banned the practice during his three years in office because there was “no full government support” for it.
“What we are saying now is that this will be something that we will promote in the government and we will pass legislation,” he said.
“The kinds of practices that try to change or suppress someone’s sexuality are wrong and we need to make sure we send a very clear message about it.”
Along with the ban, Labor MP Louisa Wall says the party will also take steps to ensure “all young people have a safe place to learn and prosper” by helping schools implement gender neutral toilets.
“We will work with schools to provide gender neutral restrooms, and research has shown that fostering ownership in the school environment improves student achievement,” he said.
Labor’s other policies include investing $ 4 million over four years for existing LGBTQ youth mental health services. This is to help better meet demand and provide targeted support during the COVID-19 recovery, says Robertson.
“We know the next few years will be tough as we continue to fight our way out of COVID-19, but we are committed to ensuring that our diverse communities are not left behind as we recover.”
Specialized health services and support for trans, intersex and gender diverse people are also on the agenda, as they face “significantly worse health outcomes and services” compared to other New Zealanders, Wall said.
Adoption and surrogacy policies will also be reviewed as they are “out of date,” Coffey said.
“I know from my own experience that my partner and I had to formally adopt our own biological child that we need to modernize the law.”
Currently, a person who gives birth to a baby is considered the legal guardian, even if he or she is not an “intentional parent.” Therefore, couples who have a baby by surrogacy must adopt it to be recognized as the child’s parents.
“Labor is committed to reviewing adoption and surrogacy policies and legislation with a view to eliminating discriminatory practices,” Coffey said.
