Over 100,000 New Zealanders have made submissions to Parliament's Justice Select Committee regarding the ‘Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill’, a bill set to ban the practice of attempting to convert someone's sexuality.
It's the highest number of submissions ever received on a bill in New Zealand.
Last week, National MP Simon Bridges said the committee should be given more time to consider all submissions made on the Government's proposed law banning controversial conversion practices.
National was the only party to vote against the bill's first reading in Parliament last month, saying it could lead to parents facing charges.
The Greens, ACT and the Māori Party all supported the Labour government to take the bill to a select committee.
At the time, Judith Collins said National was standing up for the parents.
"We want to make it really clear to the Government and their anti-parenting type behaviour, that we will not stand by and allow this to happen without making such a song and dance about it, that the whole of the public knows," Collins told Magic Talk.
The Justice Select Committee has formed two subcommittees for the initial hearings on the bill. First, it will each hear from organisations such as churches, that have requested to make an oral submission.
The committee intends to hear from individuals separately at a later date.
The total number of submissions is expected to be confirmed in a few weeks, once submissions have been checked and verified.
