After a process that commenced three years ago, Qld’s Attorney General has finally tabled Labor’s proposed amendments to the Qld Anti-Discrimination Act. The ‘Respect at Work and Other Matters Amendment Bill 2024‘ is bad news for Qld’s faith communities.
Rob Norman, Qld Director for the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), said, “If passed the modified Bill would still inflict major damage on religious schools, because amendments introduced would make immediate changes, enlarging discrimination prohibitions, and imposing burdensome obligations on religious schools, among other measures consistent with creating one 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 QHRC Commissioner still has religious schools and Institutions in his sights after expressing his deep disappointment the 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.”
The ACL calls on the Qld Parliament to reject the ‘Respect at Work and Other Matters Amendment Bill 2024’ and initiate a full independent inquiry into Qld’s religious freedoms.
