MP Albas votes counter to Tory majority on conversion therapy ban

On Tuesday (June 22), MPs in Ottawa voted 263-63 in favour of third reading of Bill C-6.

According to the government of Canada Bill C-6 is described as;

Bill C-6 would amend the Criminal Code to prohibit certain activities that relate to “conversion therapy”, which is defined as practices, treatment or services designed to change an individual’s sexual orientation to heterosexual or gender identity to cisgender or to reduce non-heterosexual sexual attraction or sexual behaviour. Specifically, the Bill would enact new offences to prohibit:

• causing an individual to undergo conversion therapy against their will;
• 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.

The nay votes came from 62 members of the Conservative Party and one former member, now Independent MP Derek Sloan.

Overall, 52 Tory MPs voted yea, 62 nay.

Among those to vote counter to the Conservative majority was Central Okanagan Similkameen Nicola MP Dan Albas, and Kamloops area MP Cathy McLeod.

This is the second time this month that Albas and McLeod have voted against the Tory majority.

In early June, the MPs voted against a bill aimed to ban doctors from performing an abortion based on the sex of a fetus.

Bill C-6 is now headed to the Senate.