ACL: Religious Discrimination Bill not extreme enough
Image: Australian Christian Lobby Managing Director Martyn Iles.
The Australian Christian Lobby has expressed concerns that the Morrison Government’s draft Religious Discrimination Bill does not go far enough in the license that it gives religious groups and people to discriminate against others.
鈥淲hile on the surface the bill appears to deal with some significant issues, the devil is in the detail. Those details mean there is no robust protection for people such as Israel Folau or Archbishop of Hobart Julian Porteous,鈥� ACL managing director Martyn Iles wrote to supporters this week.
鈥淭o suppress rugby players鈥� freedom of religious expression, Rugby Australia would merely have to say, as they did in Israel Folou鈥檚 case, that it was seeking to avoid 鈥榰njustifiable financial hardship鈥� for a sacking to be justified.鈥�
鈥淚n fact, we are in a crazy situation where Section 8 of the bill permits Folau鈥檚 sacking. It allows medium and large corporations to discriminate against employees based on statements of belief if they claim there are significant financial implications, as Rugby Australia did.鈥�
The Australian Christian Lobby is also concerned that the bill does not go far enough in overturning Tasmania’s landmark anti-discrimination legislation.
鈥淯nder Section 41, Julian Porteous-style cases may not be prevented. Whilst the relevant Tasmanian law prohibiting so-called offensive speech is over-ridden, someone can still pursue a discrimination case if they feel harassed or vilified by a statement of belief,鈥� Iles said.
鈥淭here is no doubt that the consultation process, especially with faith groups, has some way to go.鈥�
鈥淭he exposure draft of the bill serves as a platform for more constructive conversations with the Attorney-General and members of the government. We look forward to resolving these problems.鈥�
The Government has only given until October 2 for people to lodge submissions on the bill.
LGBTQI advocates are pressing the Government to extend that date.
The ACL’s wet dream is that they get all the American-style religious freedom they want so they can finally start REALLY saying what Christians think: They want to overturn EVERY discrimination measure, first the gays, obviously women, but also non-whites….
Stay classy, ACL!
…and the fight continues. Just when you think we’ve taken one step forward with marriage equality, we take two backwards with ‘religious discrimination’. Being a modern person is so tiring.. and what the government grudgingly gave with the right hand it quickly and happily takes away with the left hand.
Are the ACL saying Catholics should or shouldn’t have been allowed to sack Folau’s cousin from a Catholic school for saying Catholicism is Satanic? Or is it ok for anyone so say all Christians are Satanic based on the beliefs of their personal family cult, while keeping employment with Christian institutions? This does not look well thought through, not only in terms of the likely clashes yet hypothetical, but in terms of existing disputes.