O'Toole to allow free vote for Conservative MPs on new conversion therapy ban
CBC
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole will once again allow his caucus to have a free vote on a government bill seeking to ban conversion therapy.
The so-called therapy is widely discredited as a harmful practice, aimed at trying to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity.
Earlier in the week, the Liberals introduced legislation for a third time in the House of Commons to criminalize the practice.
The first bill died when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prorogued Parliament in 2020.
A second version introduced not long after didn't pass the Senate before the legislative agenda was cleared by Trudeau's election call last summer.
It was passed by the House of Commons, however, where 62 of O'Toole's 119 MPs voted against the bill, despite the leader's efforts to demonstrate a more progressive stance on LGBTQ issues.
At that time, numerous Conservative MPs complained the wording of the bill was overly broad and could criminalize conversations about sexuality between children and their parents or with religious leaders.
The vote prompted a backlash, with critics charging that O'Toole had failed to live up to his more progressive rhetoric on LGBTQ issues.
Faced with another vote on the issue soon, a spokeswoman for O'Toole confirmed he will again allow a free vote, but added that he "has long been an ally to the LGBTQ community and will continue to support efforts to ban conversion therapy."
"He will also continue to highlight the fact that the Liberals have failed three times to move swiftly on the issue," wrote O'Toole's director of communications, Josie Sabatino.
"While the bill will be subject to a free vote, all Conservative MPs oppose the coercive and harmful practice of trying to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity."
Allowing MPs to vote as they like on matters of conscience has been O'Toole's position since becoming leader of the party, which includes a sizeable number of MPs who hail from its social conservative wing.
Nicholas Schiavo, founder of advocacy group No Conversion Canada, said federal leaders should ensure the legislation receives unanimous approval to send a clear message to LGBTQ Canadians that conversion therapy is unacceptable. He called O'Toole's decision to allow a free vote disappointing.
"You're putting the lives of LGBTQ2 Canadians who are proven to be at risk up for debate. And you're putting their fundamental freedoms up for debate," Schiavo said.
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