Comments on: The price of freedom to marry should not be freedom to discriminate

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 05:00:45 +0000

Are you kidding me, for god sake people, are we Australian’s still “debating” marriage equality in 2015 – for god bloody sake people – just allow it and move on!

By: helen

helen — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 02:06:53 +0000

In reply to Chip Molly.

This whoke controversy is making Tim look very foolish indeed in the press.

Unless it’s resolved with Mr Brandis everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt

Can a journalist ask him, if he accepted the position with the potential outcome of being Gillian Triggs replacement.

So shameful for the gay lobby to use him in anything he does with the community

He’s unsuitably underqualified for his role at nearly $1000 per day for shallow propaganda

I will suitably discriminate against gay liberals that are not supporting decency and humanity for all gay men worldwide

Resign when Mr Abbott leaves Tim…your partisan relationships are dubious to say the least..

By: Chip Molly

Chip Molly — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 09:07:44 +0000

This is the Tim Wilson who was supposedly offered Gillian Trigg’s job by Brandis. How he became a human rights commissioner. Sigh.

By: jabe

jabe — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 03:40:07 +0000

Tim is a smart young man and maybe ambition has overrided his judgement too much.

Hope he reboots himself soon to save his credibility after our p.m is replaced.

Politics is a vocation Tim…don’t forget that point you made earlier on in your career.

Haters going to hate even more when your hero is replaced pretty soon

For a middle class gay man that comes from the most liveable city in the world discrimination has no place at all in todays modern society.

Freedom to abuse is disgusting in any form.

By: Barrie

Barrie — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 03:37:56 +0000

As usual everyone misses the point about religion. It’s protected under sec 116 of the Australian Constitution. No constitutional protections are provided on the basis of sex or sexuality.

If a kosher and halal butchers are exempted from selling pork then is it such a stretch to exempt Christian bakers from providing certain products? How is this even an issue?

By: jen

jen — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 02:01:15 +0000

So there’s a Gay Mafia that Tim is part of with his undisclosed vested interests.

How many conflicts of interests does he have as a Commissioner that we don’t see in public?

He’s looking like a very dubious appointment that’s only there for monetary reasons.

I can also discriminate against Tim in our establishments for being a complete Wanker can’t I???

He and his partner have been staunch supporters of Tony Abbott for many years

That’s why he should leave when Mr Abbott gets replaced as Prime Minister by Malcolm Turnball

By: George

George — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 01:46:12 +0000

The irony in all this is that Tims partner is a teacher who would be discriminated against at a religious school because of his status…

Really Tim…you expect us to believe that you’re own nastiness is a trajectory for the gay community.

Give us a break and swiftly resign

My gay liberal friends who are professionals think you’re a weird joke

White gay elitist fascist on speed.

Maby Thanks to Rodney erudite response.

By: hui

hui — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 01:33:08 +0000

A gay man like Tim being a bigot and being appointed in his current role speaks volumes about his own vested interests.

To be given Ms Triggs job in such dubious circumstances says a lot about his lack of credibility on all these issues

He’s selfish and shallow and needs to resign along with Mr Brandis who appointed him.

Thanks to Roodney who displays more depth and maturity to being a great gay role model.

Tim…go and disclose your vested interests or be branded as a Gay godfather.

By: Brian Woodhouse

Brian Woodhouse — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 20:40:20 +0000

Religious organisations can only claim “religious freedom” when they stop receiving public money from government grants, and stop receiving tax and other exemptions from the government!

By: Brian Woodhouse

Brian Woodhouse — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 20:38:18 +0000

True equality will only be won when religious organisations stop hiding their homo-hatred behind theological rhetoric. There is no basis in any of the sacred writings to support hatred of LGBTIQ people.

By: Klaus Tomanke

Klaus Tomanke — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 11:54:56 +0000

Tim Wilson is and remains a bigot

By: Matthew Smith

Matthew Smith — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 08:57:59 +0000

Tim Wilson is a bigot-loving stain. Religious organisations have plenty of rights to discriminate against whoever they want (you can’t force a church to allow any particular couple to marry in their church if they’re against it), so that’s not the issue here. The only question is how to deal with non-religious businesses run by bigots. If Tim Wilson is worried about cake makers and photographers having to make cakes for or photograph people they disapprove of, why offer them protection and legitimise that discrimination? Should they also be allowed to reject mixed race marriages if it offends them? Maybe hotels run by homophobes could start enforcing ‘straights only’ rules? And why stop at homophobes – racists could decide to refuse service to muslim customers, the possibilities for a socially divided country are endless!
Just being practical, if a same-sex couple realised their local cake store was full of bigots, they’d probably go somewhere else, so there’s unlikely to be any issue. But if an issue did arise, I don’t think the solution is to enshrine the rights of bigots in law.
It’s pathetic to watch Triggs being hounded by the Abbott govt over daring to write a report into children being abused in custody, while Tim Wilson is spending his time worrying about the rights of homophobic shopkeepers. The man needs a sacking.

By: Ró NicDhonnacha

Ró NicDhonnacha — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 07:22:49 +0000

If you provide goods or services to the general public for lawful purposes you must also adhere to the laws pertaining to how you conduct your business. It is currently prohibited in law to refuse services or goods to someone on the basis of the protected attributes in a variety of equality and equal status laws, this includes sexual orientation and gender expression. This should not change just because civil marriage is extended to include gay and lesbian couples.
If you are a religious body of faith or connected to same for the purposes of what you offer – a Catholic priest for example, you already have a legal exemption. If you are not, a civil celebrant, and provide services under civil law you must adhere to the statutes of civil law or face the remedies and penalties provided for in those pieces of legislation and potentially a civil case in the courts.

It is correct to say equal marriage rights should not be a doorway to further discrimination. This is why no further exemptions in respect to the provision of goods and or services should be called for, proposed or enacted within the bounds of civil society.
Religious bodies of faith can already do as they please.