Jacob Hill, the Western Australian State Director of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), has questioned the bill to ban conversion therapy practices in Western Australia, asking why clairvoyants and motivational speakers are permitted to practice.
“You can go to a clairvoyant right now, they’ll read your cards, do whatever you like, speak to your dead aunty and introduce whatever spirits are going on, and that’s something that’s quite accepted across even this secular Western culture that we live in.” Hill said during a recent radio interview.
Hill took over the role of State Director of the ACL in 2024 following the retirement of former Liberal party MP and Reverend Peter Abetz. He spoke about the WA government’s long held promise to bring in a ban against Sexual orientation and gender identity and expression change efforts during an interview on Christian radio station Vision.
“The Attorney General Tony Buti has promised that before the end of their going to bring reforms to the Equal Opportunities Act and a ban on conversion therapy to parliament.
“These very much potentially effect faith based organisations such as churches and Christian schools.” Hill said.
Speaking with host Neil Johnson the ACL leader admitted that Western Australian’s did have a recent example of conversion therapy being practiced via the scandal plagued Esther House organisation which was the subject of a parliamentary inquiry.
The Perth based residential facility claimed to provide support for women and girls experiencing mental health concerns and substance abuse challenges. The organisation entered voluntary administration in April 2022.
The organisation operated for almost three decades with significant government support, but clients later shared stories emotional and psychological abuse, coercive and extreme religious practices, LGBTQA+ suppression and conversion practices, culturally harmful practices, medical complaints, family alienation, physical restraints and assaults, and sexual assault
In December 2022 the parliamentary committee tabled it’s report in parliament finding that harm was caused to clients, staff, volunteers and their family. It also found that the culture of the organisation had allowed unacceptable behaviours and practices to occur and go undetected.
When the report was released in late 2022 then Premier Mark McGowan promised to take action on conversion therapy bans.
Hill defended Esther House saying the organisation had done good work, despite the damning finds of the parliamentary report.
“Overall they actually had done a fair bit of good work.” Hill said.
“Where they broke down was particularly around same-sex attraction where women who were going into the program wanting help with same-sex attraction or gender confusion and this particular ministry their approaches were complained about, and when it was audited there was some pretty big holes in their processes which was enough to get them closed down.” Hill said.
Hill described the inquiry into the organisation as “a schmozzle”, but admitted it was a “good example of how not to do things”.
Discussing the Esther House’s reported practice of holding exorcisms to banish same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria, Hill said there was a difference between what the LGBT believed and the beliefs of Christians.
“The essential thing is the messaging came from trying to exorcise that particular trait, what that was essentially saying is ‘that there’s something wrong with you’.
“The breakdown here is that the LGBT movement want to separate, they say that ‘there is nothing wrong with you’ – that means there’s nothing wrong with you. While the Christian belief is design, that man was made for woman like the scripture, so there’s an incongruency there.
“The actual breakdown is that one group believe that that’s not part of your design, and the other group believe that that’s your make up and there’s nothing to be fixed.” Hill said.
The ACL leader then went on to say society has no problem with motivational speakers telling people they can change their lives.
“The actual practice itself in the physical presentation of it, you cross it over to various platforms and there is actually no sting in it. The sting is the LGBT community believe there is nothing to be fixed, and your trying to fix something that isn’t broken.”
Hill said his belief is that a law banning Christians from praying for people who experience same-sex attraction goes against the Australian constitution.
“What this law is doing is actually putting limits on Christians exercising their religion.” Hill said, adding that he hoped to speak to members of the government and encourage them to scale back the proposed legislation.
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