By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

BILL C-6

MPs Calkins and Dreeshen vote against conversion therapy ban

Jun 23, 2021 | 3:11 PM

The Conservative Members of Parliament representing Red Deer and area have voted against a bill banning the controversial practice of conversion therapy in Canada.

On Tuesday, the House of Commons voted 263-63 in favour of Bill C-6, tabled by Liberal MP and Minister of Justice and Attorney General David Lametti, seeking to prohibit forceful conversion therapy and make several other related acts a criminal offence, including:

• causing a child to undergo conversion therapy;
• removing a child from Canada to undergo conversion therapy abroad;
• receiving a financial or other material benefit from the provision of conversion therapy; and
• advertising an offer to provide conversion therapy.

Sixty-two of the nay votes came from Conservative MPs, including Red Deer-Mountain View’s Earl Dreeshen and Red Deer-Lacombe’s Blaine Calkins. The other nay vote came from Derek Sloan, a former Conservative member turned Independent

Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole voted in favour of the ban, as did high profile party members Pierre Poilievre, Cathy McLeod and Michelle Garner.

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“Several months ago, I voted to support sending Bill C-6 to a House of Commons Committee for further study in order to ensure that it did what the Liberal government said it would do – ban conversion therapy while also protecting the rights of all Canadians by not criminalizing private conversations in which personal views on sexual orientation, sexual feelings or gender identity are expressed,” Dreeshen said in a email statement to rdnewsNOW.

“This would include cases where teachers, school counsellors, pastoral counsellors, faith leaders, doctors, mental health professionals, friends or family members provide support to persons struggling with their sexual orientation, sexual feelings, or gender identity.”

Dreeshen says Conservatives have stood in clear opposition to conversion therapy, even proposing an amendment at the committee stage to clarify the bill’s definition of conversion therapy as an act of coercion.

“We heard from Canadians, including those from the medical community, who raised concerns about the broadness of the definition,” he added. “Unfortunately, the Liberals ignored reasonable efforts to build a consensus and strengthen the bill. That is the sole reason why I voted against passage of Bill C-6 at third reading. Our amendments were designed to ensure that the Liberal government does not trample on individual rights in their rush to play politics.”

Calkins’ office said he was not available for an interview Wednesday, but that he supports the statement put out by Conservative Shadow Minister for Justice and the Attorney General of Canada, Rob Moore.

The statement points out the Conservatives’ opposition to conversion therapy and notes that Bill C-6 was wiped from the order paper last year when Parliament prorogued.

“Conservatives are committed to ensuring protections are in place to ban conversion therapy in Canada and that the law targets coercive practices, and not conversations, as the Justice Department says the bill is intended to do,” Moore said.

“We know conversion therapy needs to be banned. If the Liberals are so incompetent that after six years in government they still can’t make that happen, Canada’s Conservatives will.”

Red Deer-based Central Alberta Pride Society expressed their disappointment in how the local MPs voted, but optimism about the bill being passed.

“This is a win for the youth of tomorrow, as they may not have to face some of the horrors that our community has seen and endured,” says Bobbi-Jo L’Hirondelle, vice-chair. “It also speaks volumes to know that MPs from our own backyard do not support our safety or well-being, it makes me feel like the LGBTQ+ community is seen as less than and not equal, not as their neighbours, friends, or family.

“We have been in a fight for our rights for many years and it’s still a fight today, but it’s a fight that we are not willing to give up on as we deserve the same rights as the next person. We are all equal. We are all human!”

Bill C-6 now moves to the Senate for debate before approval for Royal Assent, though the threat of a summer election call threatens the upper chamber’s ability to do so in time.

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