Groups such as the Australian National Imams Council urge Coalition to return focus to initial purpose of the bill
Religious groups have expressed disappointment at the federal government’s decision to shelve controversial religious discrimination laws, claiming parliament lost sight of the original intent of the legislation.
“I think the primary focus of this bill was always those protective provisions to bring it in line with the protections based on other attributes – that was always the primary provision and there was no dispute or question about those proposed provisions,” he said.“It’s disappointing that it has been shelved, and we hope that it’s something that will quickly be revived and pursued.”
“If a person said ‘I’ve got to go and do something connected with my race or sexual preference or carer responsibility’, the employer has to be very careful because they can be pursued for discrimination. But if it’s a religious activity, the employer can do what they want. “There are already some laws there which protect against vilification based on other attributes. It’s just as important to protect against hate speech based on a person’s religious identity.
“The intent of Islamic schools is not based on discriminating against students on any level, and this was not just about Islamic schools but protecting the whole community.” “Some parts of the community, especially the LGBTQ communities, had some serious concerns, as well as people in religious institutions. So a lot of questions were raised, and it looked as if they hadn’t been thought through properly.
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