religious freedom review
Religious Privileges Bill: Teachers can be fired for sexuality
A submission from Attorney-General Michaelia Cash’s department confirms everyone’s suspicions. That the Religious Privileges Bill – sorry, Discrimination Bill – will allow religious schools to fire teachers for their views on sexuality. Both the Sydney Anglican church and the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference defended that ‘right’. The submission from the Attorney-General’s department said the bill …
Rodney Croome: No Deals on Discrimination
Rodney Croome says there must be no deals on discrimination. The movement to roll back discrimination protections is a serious threat we must stand up to. Therefore the LGBTIQ community and its representatives must not make unnecessary compromises. It must be blocked outright. The LGBTIQ community campaign against the Religious Discrimination Bill is working. As …
Federal government orders review of religious legal exemptions
The federal government has launched a review into religious exemptions in anti-discrimination laws that allow religious institutions to discriminate against LGBT students and teachers. Attorney-General Christian Porter said on Wednesday the government has asked the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) to undertake the review following the release of the Ruddock religious freedom review panel’s report …
OPINION: How the Ruddock Review Has Harmed The LGBTI Community
Many LGBTI people breathed a sigh of relief that the Ruddock Review didn’t recommend a roll back of LGBTI human rights. Many were pleased Philip Ruddock said there’s not a lot of evidence of discrimination against people of faith, particularly given how stridently the religious right claimed during the postal survey there was such evidence. …
Philip Ruddock Says Review Found ‘Very Little Evidence’ Of Religious Discrimination
The head of the religious freedom review, Philip Ruddock, has said the review panel found “very little hard evidence” of religious discrimination in Australia. Prime Minister Scott Morrison released the review’s long-awaited report and the government’s response on Thursday. Ruddock told ABC Radio on Friday that the review panel had heard from a wide range …
Law Council Calls For Human Rights Act In Response To Religious Freedom Review
The Law Council of Australia has welcomed the federal government’s announcement of religious protections at the federal level, but said the “delicate balance” between freedom of religion and freedom from discrimination would be better dealt with a National Human Rights Act. The federal government today released the Ruddock Religious Freedom Review and its response, where …
Coalition Pledges New Religious Freedom Laws But LGBT Student Protections Delayed
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a new law to outlaw religious discrimination in the government’s response to the religious freedom review, but protections for LGBT students will be delayed until the second half of 2019. Morrison released the long-awaited Philip Ruddock-headed Religious Freedom Review on Thursday and announced the government backed all 20 of …
The Equality Campaign Relaunches As New Organisation To Fight For LGBTIQ Rights
A new organisation to fight for LGBTIQ law reform in Australia has been launched, with marriage equality lobby group Equality Campaign rebranding as Equality Australia. Prominent marriage equality campaigner Anna Brown will leave her current role at the Human Rights Law Centre to serve as the organisation’s CEO. Speaking on the 12 month anniversary of …
Don’t Show, Don’t Tell: Gay Teacher Shares Experience Working At A Religious School
The leaking of parts of the Ruddock religious freedom review sparked public outrage around the ability of religious schools to discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status. During the Wentworth by election, Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised to protect LGBTIQ students, but the principals of 34 religious schools then sent a letter …
Labor introduces anti-discrimination bill for schools
Federal Labor has introduced a bill that would protect gay students from discrimination at religious schools but that does not address the hiring and firing of gay teachers or other staff. Labor vowed to go it alone on the issue after talks with the government broke down again this week, but the Greens have said …
