ACL: Faith Leaders Meet With WA Attorney General
Michael Barnett OAM
News Item
Faith Leaders Meet With WA Attorney General
Guest Author: Peter Abetz (former ACL WA State Director)
Faith leaders recently met with Attorney General, Dr Tony Buti, amid growing concern within Western Australia’s faith communities that the Government may introduce Victorian-style “Conversion Therapy” legislation.
These concerns prompted former WA State Director Peter Abetz to encourage the WA Association of Churches to write an open letter to the Premier and the Attorney General. Peter was asked to prepare the draft, and after agreement was reached on its contents, the letter was sent in December 2025. It urged the Government to avoid the excesses of the Victorian legislation and instead develop laws that respect parental rights, freedom of speech, religious freedom, and to limit the scope of the legislation to coercive conduct..
The letter was signed by 15 prominent Christian church leaders, along with representatives from the Jewish and Muslim communities. The Attorney General kindly agreed to meet with a delegation on 25 February. The meeting was constructive, with Dr Buti and his Chief of Staff listening carefully to the concerns raised. The delegation felt their views were genuinely heard.
Dr Buti indicated that drafting of the legislation has not yet begun. The delegation was grateful for the opportunity to present its concerns and offer input at this early stage, recognising that once a bill has been drafted, it becomes much more difficult to influence its final form.
Chief Executive Officer