Reality check: New Democrats lead the way on banning conversion therapy

Justin Trudeau is wrong when it comes to efforts by New Democrats to ban conversion therapy across Canada.
Before Bill C-6 was even introduced, former NDP MP Sheri Benson (Saskatoon-West) sponsored a petition calling for an end to conversion therapy that gained over 18,000 signatures. Instead of taking action, Minister David Lametti said it was up to the provinces to pass this legislation.
In March 2020, NDP MP Randall Garrison committed that the NDP would ensure the Liberals’ Bill C-8 “achieves the goal of being the most comprehensive bill banning conversion therapy in the world”. But Justin Trudeau let it die on the order paper when he prorogued Parliament as part of an effort to hide from the WE Scandal.
New Democrats committed to ensuring the bill would be passed when it was reintroduced as Bill C-6. The Bill went through committee quickly in December, but the Liberals dragged their feet and didn’t bring it back to the House for Third reading until April 2021. House Leader Peter Julian wrote to the government House Leader to affirm this commitment to pass important bills, which included a proposal to extend sitting hours.
Pablo Rodriguez even said “there’s one party in the House that is standing in the way of progress, one party that is using its minority to block the will of the majority in the house. That is Erin O’Toole’s Conservatives.”
Conversion therapy is immoral and wrong. Justin Trudeau could have banned conversion therapy and saved lives, but he was more interested in trying to show divisions in the Conservative party than saving lives. Instead of blaming others for his government’s erratic agenda, Justin Trudeau should see that New Democrats have always been fighting to protect people from this form of psychological abuse and we’ll keep fighting until it is finally banned.