Anti-discrimination bill sidelines LGBTI people
Independent MP for Sydney Alex Greenwich (pictured) has called on the Federal Government to justify its stance on religious exemptions in Australia’s anti-discrimination law.
Greenwich says he wants Prime Minister Julia Gillard to justify allowing publically funded religious service providers to discriminate against groups including gays and lesbians.
The move comes as a bill designed to consolidate Commonwealth anti-discrimination laws is under review by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee.
The Committee’s report is due February 18.
According to a SMH report today, the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) says Gillard has assured religious groups they will have the freedom to discriminate against homosexuals under any new anti-discrimination legislation.
“The Prime Minister has a duty to protect those affected by discrimination, not those practising it,” Greenwich said.
“By allowing hospitals and schools to practice discrimination the Prime Minister is supporting breeding grounds for homophobia.”
Greenwich told GayNewsNetwork he believes religious organisations that receive public funding to provide a public service in health, education or any other sphere should not discriminate when it comes to service delivery and employment.
“Religious bodies will often tender to receive public funding to manage service delivery, and in some areas can be the only health or education service provider,” Greenwich said.
“For example, a hospital has the ability to reject the application of a much needed specialist based on their sexuality, even though hiring that individual would be in the best interest of the area.
“Similarly a school's top performing teacher could be fired, not based on quality of education provided, but on their sexuality.
“This blatant discrimination not only affects the individuals discriminated against, but entire communities who miss out on skills based on the prejudice of the tax-payer funded service provider."
Greenwich said the grassroots of the Australian Labor Party “who believe in fairness and equal opportunity to jobs” should be “up in arms” over the bill.
In a submission to the Senate Committee, Greenwich said discrimination in law did not aim to address discrimination in the private sphere, “and has very little impact on the right to religious freedom”.
“Discrimination in [the] public sphere such as employment or service provision should not be sanctioned in law through exemptions,” Greenwich said.
Meanwhile, NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann wants Premier Barry O'Farrell to withdraw his submission to the Senate Committee because of its support for the continuation of exemptions for religious organisations.
“It isn't just the Prime Minister who is bending over backwards to appease extreme elements of the Christian lobby like ACL,” Faehrmann said.
“Barry O'Farrell needs to stand up to his anti-gay and anti-equality Attorney-General Greg Smith. It's outrageous that the government is actively working against LGBTI people and their families in NSW,” Faehrmann said.
To view the bill and submissions to the Senate Committee, go here.
About the Author
Andrew Shaw
Andrew Shaw worked in Melbourne's media scene for 12 years as a news journalist, arts writer and editor, before making a sea change to Brisbane to become editor of Queensland Pride in 2012. He was editor of Melbourne Community Voice for six years, worked in the Media Unit at Monash University and was assistant editor/editor of statewide magazines for secondary school students and teachers respectively.
Comments (7)
Its unfortunate that many Christian organisations have accepted funding from the Government Coffers in the past. Perhaps its time for the church to return to producing its own wealth and not relying on the Government. It used to be unthinkable for the church to put its hand out to Caesar and this is why.
If there's "FREEDOM OF RELIGION" Julia here also has to be "FREEDOM FROM RELIGION".
She's pandering to the pathetic ACL, fearful that they can swing the election against her. All polls would show she has no chance anyway (Tony Abbott will be even worse, so we're outta luck) so I'm unsure of her tactic. I'd really love for her to answer the question without giving the 'My personal belief' utter bullcrap answer.
We have to just keep pressing, through letters and social media and protests that we'll never stop until there's equality.
Right,,I think we should play Gillard at her own game. She wants to support wholesale discrimination of minorities by religious organizations and those that support that sort of bias. It's our money that supports these havens for vile bigots. They should be cutoff or perhaps Gillard could set up a 'slush' fund - she is good at that. The major thing we as a nation can do is to sack her. If she wants to support open discrimination of minorities then its time we showed her what it feel like. She is a disgusting and vile individual . Her job it to protect all peoples of this nation - well she is not doing a great job -but we know that in 2010. She need to go now and I have to say this - i truly believe her father would be utterly ashamed of her and probably did die of shame!!
I loathe her as well, but allah forbid if she loses the next election and Tony Abbott wins.
I'll be voting for neither (greens forever), but I fear how much further Abbott would go in disenfranchising gays or completely ignoring their protests.
In the future, children will visit a museum, and stare in shock at this legislation, hanging next to the White Australia Policy. To deny jobs, to deny government funded services, to expel students from school, simply due to birth, is abhorrent. In rural Australia, where I made my nest, some government services are only offered by government funded religious businesses. Make no mistake, Federal Labor is in the midst of a hate crime and are equally responsible for funding hate crimes, let alone writing legislation to support religious groups ability to conduct their terror. Labor is turning back the clock on our civil rights, and trying to create a culture, in the wider community, so we are legally hated.
Good on you for raising this issue Alex- for too long the ability of religious organisations to discriminate in the provision of educational and welfare services has gone unchallenged. If public money is being put to use by these organisations then they need to live up to basic community standards of equal treatment and non discrimination.
Mr.Greenwich is right.
A Commonwealth bill allowing for the legal discrimination of homosexual people is Un-Australian.
Imagine if the Commonwealth Government of Australia introduced laws through the Senate to discriminate against Jewish or Indigenous Australians.
There would be an outcry, and rightly so.
Australian Commonwealth Laws of today shouldn't reflect the intolerance of a Germany in 1944.
I've spent the better part of my life dismantling unlawful discrimination and vilification against all minority Australians, including homosexuals and I'm saddened and disappointed that a government of Australia would allow for a pernicious bill like this to harm homosexual people.