Queensland’s proposed anti-discrimination laws have been watered down and some key reforms will not be passed before the October state election. The government has opted not to scrap the contentious exemptions that allow religious schools to hire staff with the same faith, values and ethos.
The modified bill that was tabled in State Parliament by Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath will enact only some of the promised reforms. Critics of the government backdown say faith-based schools can continue to discriminate against teachers based on their sexuality, gender identity, relationship status and pregnancy. Minister D’Ath said exemptions for religious schools required further consideration.
Labor sources told The Guardian the party doesn’t want a fight with the churches ahead of the election. Churches had vowed to campaign vigorously against the original draft of the bill. Sources also indicated to The Guardian that there had been pressure from within federal Labor, which the newspaper writes “appears to be balking at introducing similar legislation recommended by the Australian Law Reform Commission.”
Despite the backdown on exemptions, the Australian Christian Lobby condemned the revised bill. Queensland director Rob Norman said “It would still inflict major damage, enlarging discrimination prohibitions and imposing burdensome obligations on religious schools, consistent with creating one of the most repressive and restrictive legislative regimes against religious freedoms in Australia.”
“The new bill creates a hostile discrimination framework that favours ideologies that are incompatible with fundamental religious beliefs. Unfortunately, it seems the Queensland Human Rights Commissioner still has religious schools and institutions in his sights after expressing his deep disappointment the state government did not adopt measures to remove protections for religious schools when hiring staff.”
Mr. Norman concluded by saying, “Religious institutions should have inalienable rights that must not be subjected to secular courts in matters of faith and expression of religion.”
